Some people say that we cannot define leadership, but we know it when we see it. Others argue that leadership can only be defined as someone who has followers. So scholars argue that a universally acceptable definition for leadership is practically impossible and will hinder new ideas and creative ways of thinking.

Leaders are agents of change, persons whose acts affect other people more than other people’s acts affect them. Leadership occurs when one group member modifies the motivation or competencies of others in the group.

Leadership “…is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives”.

Attribution theory posits that attributions are understood to play a crucial role in human categorization processes and, thus to become a leader, he/she needs to be perceived as a leader by his/her followers.

Important note: Leadership is the matter of perception. A leader could not be perceived by everyone as a leader.