What is the true meaning of leadership (to You)?

A few weeks ago, I came across a quote by Simon Sinek on LinkedIn that resonated deeply with me: “Leadership is not a rank or position to be attained. Leadership is a service to be given.”

This simple statement caught my attention and got me reflecting on my own understanding of leadership.

Until recently, I viewed leadership through a traditional lens—often tied to organizations or society and almost always involving a hierarchical structure: the leader at the top and the followers below.

Sinek’s quote, however, introduced a refreshing perspective. It suggests that leadership is not confined to those in positions of power; rather, it’s a quality that everyone can embody, regardless of their title or role.

Leadership, in this sense, is not about authority but about service.

This sparked a deeper question in my mind: What is the true meaning of leadership? Are there perhaps different forms of leadership—one focused outwardly on leading others, and another that looks inwardly, guiding oneself?

Curious to dig deeper, I turned to a basic source: the dictionary. Here’s what I found:

Leader: A person in control of a group, country, or situation.

Leadership: The person or people in charge of an organization.

These definitions reinforced the conventional view of leadership as control or authority. While I could connect with the idea of leadership involving responsibility, there was still no mention of the individual, inner aspect of leadership.

I decided to look further, exploring perspectives I hadn’t considered before, and came across a definition from the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL).

CCL describes leadership as a social process where individuals work together to achieve results that they could not accomplish alone. They also outline three core outcomes of leadership: direction, alignment, and commitment.

I found this intriguing. Leadership, according to this view, isn’t just about one person leading—it’s about the entire group co-creating outcomes. I could see the value of direction, alignment, and commitment, but still, there was no clear mention of the personal, self-guided form of leadership.

Determined to find a more holistic definition, I searched specifically for “Personal Leadership.” Here’s what I came across:

The ability to develop and utilize your positive leadership traits to guide the direction of your life instead of letting time and chance determine your course.

Or, put another way: the capacity to harness your destiny and direct it with purpose and resilience.

This definition felt closer to what I was seeking.

During my training as a coach, I learned about concepts like the “Leader Within,” self-compassion, and self-authority—ideas that empower us to create the lives we want to live. These notions of Personal Leadership resonated deeply.

Reading these definitions brought to mind one of my favorite leadership books, Strengths-Based Leadership by Gallup, which has been a guiding resource in my journey as a management consultant and co-managing director of my own startup.

After extensive research, Gallup found that people generally look for four key traits in a leader: Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope.

This led me to wonder: What if we applied these four traits to the concept of Personal Leadership?

• Trust: The ability to trust ourselves, our intuition, and our inner wisdom.
• Compassion: Self-compassion as a foundation for personal growth and a catalyst for extending compassion to others.
• Stability: Creating an environment that supports our personal development—through healthy habits and and relationships.
• Hope: Cultivating the belief that what we aspire to create in our life is possible.

Taking these reflections further, I revisited the three outcomes from CCL’s definition of leadership:

• Direction: Setting a clear intention for our life overall or specific goals, guided by our sense of purpose and passion.
• Alignment: Ensuring that our thoughts, beliefs, and actions are in harmony with our chosen path.
• Commitment: Staying dedicated to our journey, showing up consistently, and navigating both highs and lows with resilience.

Ultimately, while traditional leadership often focuses on leading others, I firmly believe there is untapped potential in Personal Leadership. It’s through mastering our inner leadership that we can become better leaders in our organizations, communities, and beyond (and probably live more fulfilling and contented lives).

As Howard Thurman beautifully put it: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

So, what about you? How do you define leadership in your world? How are you approaching your Personal Leadership?

Hugs,

Jose

Sources used or cited in this piece: Leadership Excellence now, Competence.org, CCL (Centre for Creative Leadership), Cambridge dictionary, Gallup.