leadership

Etymology

From leader + -ship.

noun

1. The capacity of someone to lead others.
   Shepard: You have a plan? Ambassador Udina: The galaxy needs leadership. Real leadership. When a crisis hits, we can't be paralyzed by debate like the old Council. Ambassador Udina: The new Council must rule with a single voice. It must be assembled from one species alone -- humanity! 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel
2. A group of leaders.
   People who talk about an imminent possibility of war seldom pose this question: What would North Korea’s leadership get from unleashing a war that they are likely to lose in weeks, if not days? April 9, 2013, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in New York Times
3. The office or status of a leader.