Etymology
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leadership (n.)

1821, "position of a leader, command," from leader + -ship. Sense extended by late 19c. to "characteristics necessary to be a leader, capacity to lead."

Entries linking to leadership

leader (n.)
Old English lædere "one who leads, one first or most prominent," agent noun from lædan "to guide, conduct" (see lead (v.)). Cognate with Old Frisian ledera, Dutch leider, Old High German leitari, German Leiter. As a title for the head of an authoritarian state, from 1918 (translating Führer, Duce, caudillo, etc.). Meaning "writing or statement meant to begin a discussion or debate" is late 13c.; in modern use often short for leading article (1807) "opinion piece in a British newspaper" (leader in this sense attested from 1837). The golf course leader board so called from 1970.
-ship 

word-forming element meaning "quality, condition; act, power, skill; office, position; relation between," Middle English -schipe, from Old English -sciepe, Anglian -scip "state, condition of being," from Proto-Germanic *-skepi- (cognates: Old Norse -skapr, Danish -skab, Old Frisian -skip, Dutch -schap, German -schaft), from *skap- "to create, ordain, appoint," from PIE root *(s)kep-, forming words meaning "to cut, scrape, hack" (see shape (v.)). It often forms abstracts to go with corresponding concretes (friend/friendship, etc.).

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Definitions of leadership

leadership (n.)
the activity of leading;
his leadership inspired the team
Synonyms: leading
leadership (n.)
the body of people who lead a group;
the national leadership adopted his plan
Synonyms: leaders
leadership (n.)
the status of a leader;
they challenged his leadership of the union
leadership (n.)
the ability to lead;
he believed that leadership can be taught
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near leadership

lead

leaded

leaden

leader

leaderless

leadership

lead-in

leading

lead-off

lead-up

leaf

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