Leadership: Is the Term too Ambiguous to Delineate?

This week, I was reading the comments in response to a question from Ian Mitchell on LinkedIn where the question was asked, "What is the single most important quality for a leader to have?" It has been posted for a month and has 1,442 comments. The responses have been all over the map. Integrity, trust, compassion, follow-ability, authenticity, etc.  

Over time, definitions of terms can change and/or adapt to society changes, environment changes, and generational differences, and the list goes on. However, as this happens, terms do not evolve, the get modified to include the new definitions.

As these terms have their definitions augmented, it makes it much more difficult to create effective leadership training, causing a void that impacts the work place, church, government, etc.  

Google the term "leadership characteristics" or "leadership styles." There are a phenomenal variety of phrases, made up terms, and buzz words that have watered down the expectations about what a leader is responsible for thinking, doing, and learning. This approach is ineffective and confusing for those learning to be new leaders. For those individuals aspiring to move from mid-level management roles to higher levels in an organization, leadership is critical. How can leadership be taught when the definition is not consistent enough and it is based on biases that are based on individual perceptions?

I have spent the last twenty years studying leaders and the meaning of leadership.  While the basics have remained the same, the people in leadership have changed. It is my experience that the fundamental leadership characteristics have been watered down or left behind altogether.  For example the majority of the leaders, both positional and informal, I have encountered recently have been self-centered.  Because of this, integrity, trust, and transparency have been lost, especially in the corporate world.  

I have spent time on and off over the last 8 years blogging on the topic of leadership. Not many followers, much to my chagrin. I feel strongly that there is a need to equip our leaders of the future. Blogging is my attempt to help those who are not leaders to gain knowledge of tips and techniques that help foster their quest for further leadership research. Experience and research are the sources for the information covered in the blog.

I would like to hear other insights on this topic. What are your thoughts? Have we strayed from knowing what characteristics are key to a good leader? What do you think of in regards to leadership when you hear names like John F. Kennedy, Colin Powell, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela? The list goes on with other key leaders that made a difference through their leadership.

Integrity includes trust, character and transparency. Servant, self-awareness, and compassion could be included together. Resilience, adaptability, flexibility are similar. Humility, understanding, confidence, influence, vision, respect, knowledge, foresight, courage, etc.  Each of these are very good characteristics to have as a person, not traits just for a leader to possess.

Leaders have to have followers. This is a truth. With that being the premise, then ask yourself, why do you need followers?  John C. Maxwell wrote a great book called, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. This book changed my ideas of leadership and attributes that are key to being a person of high integrity.