Introduction. Leadership is as old as human civilization. The field of leadership has burgeoned since its emergence in the last century. Leadership has become a fast-growing topic of interest for both scholars and practitioners from all over the world. On the one hand, leadership is a widespread research area. On the other hand, leadership is one of the oldest practices in human history.
Aim of the study. The aims of the paper are to define the concept of leadership from a multiple perspective and to present its main characteristics. The paper demonstrates that leadership represents a complex, context-based, multifaceted, dynamic, and even an elusive concept as there is no universal definition of leadership. Also, the paper illustrates some of the main characteristics of leadership by taking into account various perspectives, theories, and paradigms.
Keywords: leadership, leadership-as-practice, leader, paradigm, theory
JEL Classification: M1, M19
