Leadership is the ability to influence others to accomplish a specific result. Organizations needs leaders at many different levels, and these leaders must tailor their leadership approaches to each unique situation that presents itself. Some leaders may inherit positional authority from their place in the organization, while other leaders must instead achieve results through alternate means. The first of these is influence, which is the ability of a person to gain cooperation from others through persuasion or control over rewards. The second is power, which is a stronger form of influence because it reflects a person's ability to enforce actions through accountability and consequences.

Leadership is more about relationships than attributes. The leader must lead followers, and these followers must share knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes in order for the leader and team to be successful: