Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Lead |
LeadNoun1. A soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray; "the children were playing with lead soldiers". 2. An advantage held by a competitor in a race: "he took the lead at the last turn". 3. Evidence pointing to a possible solution; "the police are following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to the perpetrator". 4. A position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead'); "he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just waiting for someone to take the lead"; "they didn't follow our lead". 5. The angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile). 6. The introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter". 7. An actor who plays a principal role. 8. (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first". 9. An indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job". 10. : a news story of major importance. 11. : the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine. 12. : restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal. 13. : thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing. 14. : mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil. 15. : a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads". 16. : the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy". Verb1. Take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to the palace". 2. Result in; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin". 3. Tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests". 4. Travel in front of; go in advance of others: "The procession was headed by John". 5. Cause to undertake a certain action; "Her greed led her to forge the checks". 6. Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point; "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets". 7. Be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?". 8. Be ahead of others; be at the top; be the first. 9. Be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing". 10. : lead, as in the performance of a musical composition; "conduct an orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years". 11. : pass or spend; "lead a good life". 12. : lead. extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the basement"; "The road runs South". 13. : move ahead (of others) in time or space. 14. : cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire behind the cabinet". 15. : preside over; "John moderated the discussion". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "lead" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Satire | LEAD, n. A heavy blue-gray metal much used in giving stability to light lovers -- particularly to those who love not wisely but other men's wives. Lead is also of great service as a counterpoise to an argument of such weight that it turns the scale of debate the wrong way. An interesting fact in the chemistry of international controversy is that at the point of contact of two patriotisms lead is precipitated in great quantities. Hail, holy Lead! -- of human feuds the great And universal arbiter; endowed With penetration to pierce any cloud Fogging the field of controversial hate, And with a sift, inevitable, straight, Searching precision find the unavowed But vital point. Thy judgment, when allowed By the chirurgeon, settles the debate. O useful metal! -- were it not for thee We'd grapple one another's ears alway: But when we hear thee buzzing like a bee We, like old Muhlenberg, "care not to stay." And when the quick have run away like pellets Jack Satan smelts the dead to make new bullets. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Industry | A thin cylinder or stick of marking substance(as graphite)in or for a pencil. Source: European Union. (references) |
Aerospace | The amount one cyclic motion is ahead of another, expressed in degrees. The opposite is lag. (references) |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of lead, foretells poor success in any engagement. A lead mine, indicates that your friends will look with suspicion on your money making. Your sweetheart will surprise you with her deceit and ill temper. To dream of lead ore, foretells distress and accidents. Business will assume a gloomy cast. To hunt for lead, denotes discontentment, and a constant changing of employment. To melt lead, foretells that by impatience you will bring failure upon yourself and others. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Electrical Engineering | A flexible terminal; usually of non-rigid wire or tape. Source: European Union. (references) |
| The phase difference of the first quantity with respect to the second. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Food & Agriculture | A conduit for conducting water. Source: European Union. (references) |
| The adjustment of the saw on a log carriage so that the distance to the fence or the rail tracks is slightly less at the front of the blade than at the back(the process of toeing in)so as to ensure that there is no deviation from the sawline. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Geography | Any fracture or passage-way through sea ice which is navigable by surface vessels. Source: European Union. (references) |
Industry | The forward lean given to the blades of a vertical frame-saw so that the teeth disengage from the wood during the upward(i. e. non-cutting)part of the stroke. Source: European Union. (references) |
Literature | Lead (pronounced lêd), the metal, was, by the ancient alchemists, called Saturn. (Anglo-Saxon, lead.) To strike lead. To make a good hit. "That, after the failure of the king, he should `strike lead' in his own house seemed ... an inevitable law"- Bret Harte Foot of Five Forks Lead (pronounce leed). (Anglo-Saxon laed-an.) To lead apes in hell. (See Apes.) To lead by the nose. (See under Nose.) To lead one a pretty dance. (See under Dance.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mechanical Engineering | The distance a threaded part moves axially, with respect to a fixed mating part, in one complete rotation. In ordinary, i. e. single-start threads, the lead is equal to the pitch. In this case the term "pitch" is preferred. Source: European Union. (references) |
| Distance parallel to the axis between two parallel flanks of the same thread start. Source: European Union. (references) | |
| Leading tapered section of cutting portion of a reamer. May consist of two successive coaxial tapers having different included angles. Positive rake angle(progressive cut)employed to ensure high surface finish. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Medicine | The electrical connection for taking records by means of the electrocardiograph. Source: European Union. (references) |
Mining | A. A bluish-white metal of bright luster, very soft, highly malleable, ductile, and a poor conductor of electricity; very resistant to corrosion; a cumulative poison. Symbol, Pb. Rarely occurs in native form; chiefly obtained from galena (PbS). Lead is used in storage batteries, cable covering, plumbing, ammunition, antiknock gasoline, radiation shielding, and to absorb vibration. Other lead compounds are used in paints, fine glass, and lenses. Environmental concern with lead poisoning has resulted in a U.S. national program to reduce the concentration of lead in gasoline b. An open watercourse, usually artificial, leading to or from a mill, mine, or reservoir. Syn:leat c. See:ledge; lode. CF:blind lead d. A placer deposit. CF:blue lead; deep lead. Pron. leed. e. A defined gutter of auriferous wash. Pron. leed f. A track haulage term for the distance from the point of a frog to the point of the switch. Pron. leed g. A term sometimes used for the distance between the sheave and the winding drum centers. The greater the lead, other things being equal, the smaller the fleeting angle. Too great a lead results in vibration and whipping of the rope between sheave and drum. Idler or sag rollers are frequently installed where long leads are necessary. Pron. leed h. The distance a bit is held suspended off bottom in a borehole before rotation and downward movement of the drill string is started. Pron. leed i. Commonly used synonym for ledge or lode. Many mining location notices describe the locator's claim as extending a certain number of feet along and so many feet on each side of the lode, lead, vein, or ledge. Thus Lead, S. Dak., was so named because of the Homestake lead. Blind lead: A lead or vein that does not outcrop or show at the surface. Used esp. at Virginia City, NV. CF:lode j. Properly, placer gravels. Blue lead: A Tertiary river channel at Placerville, CA. So called because of the bluish-gray color of the gravels. Deep lead: Goldbearing gravels deeply covered with debris or lava applied particularly to those of Victoria, Australia. Pron. leed. (references) |
Sports & Leisure | The first player on each team to deliver a stone is called the --. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. A soft, heavy, toxic and malleable true metal, lead has a dull gray appearance and is bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes to dull gray when exposed to air. Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid accumulators, bullets and shot, and is part of solder, pewter, and fusible alloys. Lead is the heaviest stable element.
General Name, Symbol, Number Lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series True metals Group, Period, Block 14(IVA), 6 , p Density, Hardness 11340 kg/m3, 1.5 Appearance bluish white Atomic Properties Atomic weight 207.2 amu Atomic radius (calc.) 180 (154) pm Covalent radius 147 pm van der Waals radius 202 pm Electron configuration [Xe]44f14 5d10 6s2 6p2 e- 's per energy level 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 4 Oxidation states (Oxide) 4, 2 (amphoteric) Crystal structure Cubic face centered Physical Properties State of matter Solid Melting point 600.61 K (621.43 °F) Boiling point 2022 K (3180 °F) Molar volume 18.26 ×1010-3 m3/mol Heat of vaporization 177.7 kJ/mol Heat of fusion 4.799 kJ/mol Vapor pressure 4.21 E-07 Pa at 600 K Speed of sound 1260 m/s at 293.15 K Miscellaneous Electronegativity 2.33 (Pauling scale) Specific heat capacity 129 J/(kg*K) Electrical conductivity 4.81 106/m ohm Thermal conductivity 35.3 W/(m*K) 1st ionization potential 715.6 kJ/mol 2nd ionization potential 1450.5 kJ/mol 3rd ionization potential 3081.5 kJ/mol 4th ionization potential 4083 kJ/mol 5th ionization potential 6640 kJ/mol Most Stable Isotopes
iso NA half-life DM DE MeV DP 202Pb {syn.} 52500 y Alpha
Epsilon2.598
0.050198Hg
202Tl204Pb 1.4 >1.4 E17 y Alpha 2.186 200Hg 205Pb {syn.} 1.53 E7 y Epsilon 0.051 205Tl 206Pb 24.1% Pb is stable with 124 neutrons 207Pb 22.1% Pb is stable with 125 neutrons 208Pb 52.4% Pb is stable with 126 neutrons 210Pb {syn.} 22.3 y Alpha
Beta3.792
0.064206Hg
210BiSI units & STP are used except where noted. Notable Characteristics
Lead has a bright luster and is a ductile, very soft, highly malleable, bluish-white metal that has poor electrical conductivity. This true metal is highly resistant to corrosion. Becuse of this property, it is used to contain corrosive liquids (e.g. sulfuric acid). Lead can be toughened by adding a small amount of antimony or other metals to it.Applications
Early uses of lead included building materials, pigments for glazing ceramics, and pipes for transporting water. The castles and cathedrals of Europe contain considerable quantities of lead in decorative fixtures, roofs, pipes, and windows. Lead is the fifth most widely used metal (in its elemental state) after iron, aluminium, copper and zinc. Common uses include:Lead is a superconductor with critical temperature Tc=7.20 K (-265.95 °C).
- in lead-acid batteries, in electronic components, cable sheathing, ammunition, in the glass of CRTs, ceramics, leaded glass (see glass making), lead piping (not much used these days, although leaded solder was legal for use on drinking water pipes into the 1980s (US)), in paint (banned since 1978 in the US, and gradually in the UK from the 1950s to the 1970s, although older painted surfaces could be up to 50% lead by weight), casting alloys, pewter, solder, and dentistry filling. Also used as flashing on roofing to protect joins from rain. In gasoline (petrol) as tetra-ethyl lead and tetra-methyl lead to reduce knocking (also called pre-detonation, pre-ignition or pinking) from the 1920s, in 1986 leaded gasoline was banned from sale in the United States, in the EU in 1999.
History
Lead has been used by humans for at least 7000 years, because it was (and continues to be) widespread and easy to extract, as well as easy to work with, being both highly malleable and ductile as well as easy to smelt. Lead was mentioned in the Book of Exodus. Alchemists thought that lead was the oldest metal and associated it with the planet Saturn. Lead pipes that bear the insignia of Roman emperors are still in service. Lead's symbol Pb is an abbreviation of its Latin name plumbum.By the mid-1980s, a significant shift in lead end-use patterns had taken place. Much of this shift was a result of the U.S. lead consumers' compliance with environmental regulations that significantly reduced or eliminated the use of lead in nonbattery products, including gasoline, paints, solders, and water systems.
Extraction
Native lead does occur in nature, but it is rare. Currently lead is usually found in ore with zinc, silver and (most abundantly) copper, and is extracted together with these metals. The main lead mineral is galena (PbS), which contains 86.6% lead. Other common varieties are cerussite (PbCO3) and anglesite (PbSO4). But more than half of the lead used currently comes from recycling.In mining, the ore is extracted by drilling or blasting and then crushed and ground. The ore is then taken through a process developed in Australia in the 19th century at Broken Hill. A flotation process separates the lead and other minerals from the waste rock (tailings) to form a concentrate by passing the ore, water and certain chemicals through a series of tanks in which the slurry is constantly mixed. Air is blown through the tanks and lead sulphides attach to the bubbles and rise to form a foam which can be removed. The foam (which is around 50% lead) is dried and then sintered before being smelted to produce a 97% lead concentrate. The lead is then cooled in stages which causes the lighter impurites (dross) to rise to the surface where they can be removed. The molten lead bullion is then refined by additional smelting with air being passed over the lead to form a slag layer containing any remaining impurities and producing 99.9% pure lead.
Isotopes
Lead has four stable, naturally occurring isotopes: Pb-204 (1.4%), Pb-206 (24.1%), Pb-207 (22.1%) and Pb-208 (52.4%). Pb-206, Pb-207 and Pb-208 are all radiogenic, and are the end products of complex decay chains that begin at U-238, U-235 and Th-232 respectively. The corresponding half-lives of these decay schemes vary markedly: 4.47 × 109, 7.04 × 108 and 1.4 × 1010 years, respectively. Each is reported relative to 204Pb, the only non-radiogenic stable isotope. The ranges of isotopic ratios for most natural materials are 14.0-30.0 for Pb-206/Pb-204, 15.0-17.0 for Pb-207/Pb-204 and 35.0-50.0 for Pb-208/Pb-204, although numerous examples outside these ranges are reported in the literature.Precautions
Lead is a poisonous metal that can damage nervous connections (especially in young children) and cause blood and brain disorders. Long term exposure to lead or its salts (especially soluble salts or the strong oxidant PbO2) can cause nephropathy, and colic-like abdominal pains. Its historical use by the Roman Empire for water piping (and its salt, lead acetate, also known as sugar of lead, as a sweetener for wine) is considered by some to be the cause for the dementia that affected many of the emperors. The concern about lead's role in mental retardation in children has brought about widespread reduction in its use. Paint containing lead has been withdrawn from sale in industralised countries, though many older houses may still contain substantial lead in their old paint: it is generally recommended that old paint should not be stripped by sanding, as this generates inhalable dust. Lead salts used in pottery glazes have on occasion caused poisoning, when acid drinks, such as fruit juices, have leached lead ions out of the glaze. It has been suggested that what was known as "Devon colic" arose from the use of lead-lined presses to extract apple juice in the manufacture of cider. Lead is considered to have particularly nasty consequences for mothers in spe, i.e. girls and young women. For that reason many universities do not hand out lead in girls' analysises.The earliest pencils actually used lead, though pencil `leads' have been made for the last couple of centuries from graphite, a naturally occurring form (allotrope) of carbon.
Language Derivations
The Latin plumbum has given birth to a number of terms in the English language:The origin of the name of the fruit called a plum is not related.
- Plumbing, or system of piping, derives from the fact that pipes were once made of lead.
- Plumb bob or plummet, a small, pointed body of metal the weight of which is used to draw a string vertical under tension, refers to the fact that they were originally made from lead.
- Plumb wall is so-said because a plumb bob is used to find the vertical.
- Plumbing the depths derives from the use of the lead weight to draw the sounding line down to the bottom of the water body (or to the end of the line if the water's really deep!).
- Plumb crazy may derive from the fact that lead poisoning can cause insanity; or, according to the OED, from a U.S. sense of plum (derived from plumb) meaning 'completely'.
- Plumbism is the medical term for lead poisoning.
- Aplomb comes from the French à plomb, meaning plumb vertical, and therefore confident and cool.
see also: Lead poisoning
External Links
- WebElements.com - Lead
- EnvironmentalChemistry.com - Lead
- Global Phaseout of Leaded Gasoline
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Lead."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In partner dancing, the two partners are labelled as the lead and the follow. Traditionally, a male partner leads and the female partner follows.A lead controls the way the dance will go. He decides which moves or figures will be danced, and how to move the follow. The follow does what the name implies, and follows the lead. For the lead and follow to interact with each other, a connection must be established. More advanced dancers will take many cues from each other, and communicating feedback to the lead which he incorporates into his own styling and leads.
Beginning leads try to control 99% of the dance. Advanced leads try to control 51% of the dance. The follow styles her own moves as she likes within the parameters communicated by the lead.
Sometimes the follow steals the lead and they reverse roles. Advanced swing dancers do this (to enhance their dance connection and?) to add a little fun into the dance.
The Lead has different steps to do than the follow. The Follow generally mirrors the Lead's footwork. If the lead begins on the left foot, the follow will begin on the right foot. In choreographed pieces, tandem charleston and other situations where the follow is in a tandem or shadow position, the lead and follow will use the same footwork.
In general, the lead starts by moving his feet, which moves his body, which moves his arms and the rest of him. In general, the follow starts by being pulled with her arm, which leads (pulls or pushes) her body, which directs her feet and the rest of her. Leads must initiate every move 1/2 count early for the energy and motion to ripple through and affect the follow.
One goal of partner dancing is to move in ways that one dancer alone cannot.
Coping Skills: Free spin recovers from anything.
See Also
Dance - Swing - Lindy hop
Dance move - Basic - Sugar push - Side pass - Swing out - Circle - Groucho - Skip up - Aerial
Lead and follow - Connection - Musicality
To Do
The partner that follows and the one that leads both have an inner drive to follow the soul of the dance and rhythm. A Salsa/Mambo dancer will always try to use the quick-quick-slow pattern. As dancing is derived from walking, the weight concentration is shifted from left to right and right to left on every beat. This leads to the need to move a foot. The leading partner decides where to move his foot and how the follow should move the foot. The leading partner has to comunicate the direction of the movement to the follow. As, traditionally, the right hand of the man is on the left shoulder of the woman, he can easily pull her body towards him (if the partner remains a body tensation), to comunicate a step forward (backward for the girl) the woman has to constantly put a little weight against the right hand of the man. When the man goes forward, and so does the hand on her shoulder, she is already going backwards before she notices the cue. The second important leading mechanism is the male left hand, which holds the female right hand. At no point it should neccessary for any partner to firmly grab the other's hand. It is sufficient to press the hand or even only finger tips slightly against each other, the following hand harmonically following the leading hand. The third important leading mechanism is the hip contact. Though not possible in traditional latin dances because of partner separation (like Rumba, Cha Cha, Tango Argentino, hip contact is a harmonic and sensual way of comunicating movement to the partner, used primarily in Standard or Ballroom Dances (English / slow Waltz, European Tango, Quick Step etc). Sometimes it is highly neccessary to get the figures done correctly and with more ease. In Caribbean dances the hip contact is more for the sensual touch, and quickly gets into the way of the more advanced figures.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Lead and follow (dance)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Lead is a city located in Lawrence County, South Dakota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,027.Geography
Lead is located at 44°21'3" North, 103°45'57" West (44.350967, -103.765784)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²). 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 3,027 people, 1,279 households, and 832 families residing in the city. The population density is 587.3/km² (1,521.5/mi²). There are 1,617 housing units at an average density of 313.7/km² (812.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.74% White, 0.23% African American, 2.25% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 2.71% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,279 households out of which 33.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% are married couples living together, 12.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.89. In the city the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.8 males. The median income for a household in the city is $29,485, and the median income for a family is $35,855. Males have a median income of $25,958 versus $18,841 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,726. 12.9% of the population and 10.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.7% are under the age of 18 and 12.9% are 65 or older.Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Lead, South Dakota."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In common usage, leadership generally refers to:
- the position or office of an authority figure, such as the President [1]
- a group of influential people, such as the union leadership [1]
- guidance or direction, as in the phrase "the leadership is not providing much leadership"
- capacity or ability to lead, as in the phrase "she exercised effective leadership."
Leadership as a position of authority
In On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History, Thomas Carlyle demonstrated the concept of leadership as a position of authority when he said the following, in praising Oliver Cromwell's use of power to bring King Charles I to trial and eventual beheading "Let us remark, meanwhile, how indispensable everywhere a King is, in all movements of men. It is strikingly shown, in this very War, what becomes of men when they cannot find a Chief Man, and their enemies can." [1]
From this view, leadership emerges when an entity as "leader" manages to get deference from other entities who become "followers." And as the passage from Carlyle demonstrates, the process of getting deference is competitive in that the emerging "leader" draws "followers" from the factions of the prior "leaders."
In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the American Founders rejected the idea of a monarch. But they still proposed leadership as a position of authority, with the authority split into three powers, the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. That is, under the American theory, the authority of leadership derived from the power of the voters conveyed through the electoral college. And leadership as a position of authority could be shared among many people, including among the many legislators in the Senate and the House of Representatives. [1]
Determining what makes effective "leadership"
In comparing various leadership styles in many cultures, academic studies have examined the patterns in which leadership emerges and then fades, sometimes by natural succession according to established rules and sometimes by the imposition of brute force. Some scholars choose to judge the effectiveness of leadership by the size of the following that the "leader" can muster. By this standard, Hitler was an effective leader even if his promises were delusional and even if his troops forced the following. [1]
Other scholars maintain that an effective leader must unite followers to a shared vision that offers true value, integrity, and trust to transform and improve the organization and society. James MacGregor Burns calls this leadership that delivers true value, integrity, and trust transformational leadership that he distinguishes from mere transactional leadership that gets power by doing whatever will get more followers. [1] But the transformational quality of leadership is more difficult to quantify than would be a mere count of the followers that transactional leadership sets as a primary standard for effectiveness. That is, transformational leadership requires an evaluation of quality independent of the market demand that exhibits in the number of followers.
Leadership as a position of authority, comparison among the apes
Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson, in Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence present the empirical evidence that only humans and chimpanzees, among all the animals living on earth, share a similar tendency for violence, territoriality, and competition for uniting behind the one chief male of the land. [1] And the chimpanzees are man's closest species relative; humans inherited 98% of their genes from the ancestors of the chimpanzees.
In comparison, the bonobos, the second closest species relative of man, do not unite behind the chief male of the land. The bonobos show deference to an alpha or top-ranking female that, with the support of her coalition of other females, is as strong as the strongest male in the land. That is, if leadership amounts to getting the greatest number of followers, then among the bonobos, a female almost always exerts the strongest and most effective leadership.
Some have argued that, since the bonobo pattern inverts the dominant pattern among chimpanzees and men with regard to whether a female can get more followers than a male, humans and chimpanzees both likely inherited gender bias against women from the ancestors of the chimpanzees; gender bias is a genetic condition of men. And the bias against women having leadership as a position of authority crosses all world cultures. As of 2002, Sweden has the highest percentage of women in the legislature at 43%. And the United States, Andorra, Israel, Sierra Leone, and Ireland are tied for 57th place with less than 15% of the legislature women. [1] Admittedly, those percentages are significantly higher than the occurrence of female chimpanzees becoming alpha of the community by getting the most followers, but the trends are similar in manifesting a general gender bias across cultures against females getting leadership as a position of authority over followers.
Do certain qualities a "leader" make?
Qualities sometimes associated with leadership may include talent, technical/specific skill, initiative, charismatic inspiration and service to a cause. The skills and practices of "leadership" may compare with management in the broadest sense of that word. In this connection one can view leadership as
- centralized or decentralized
- broad or focused
- decision-oriented or morale-centered
- intrinsic or derived from some authority.
Leadership Metaphors
- An effective leader resembles an orchestra conductor in some ways. She has to somehow get a group of potentially diverse and talented people -- many of whom have strong personalities -- to work together toward a common output. Will the conductor harness and blend all the gifts her players possess? Will the players be happy with the degree of creative expression they have? Will the audience be pleased by the sound they make? The conductor may have a determining influence on all of that.
Leadership by a group
In contrast to tolerating leadership as a position of authority, some highly successful organizations have adopted a pragmatic approach when they found that the role of boss costs too much in team performance. That is, in some situations, the maintenance of the boss is too expensive by either draining the resources of the group as a whole or impeding the creativity within the team, even unintentionally.
For example, the Orpheus orchestra which has performed for over thirty years without a conductor--that is, without a boss--for a team of over 25 members, has drawn discriminating audiences, and has produced over 60 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon in successful competition with the other world-class orchestras with the autocratic or charismatic conductors. [1]
Rather than an autocratic or charismatic conductor deciding the overall conception of the work and then dictating how each individual is to perform the individual tasks, the Orpheus team generally selects a different "core group" for each piece of music; the core group as a team work out the details of the piece; the core group present their idea to the whole team; each member of the whole team then participates in refining the final conception, rehearsal, and product, including checking from various places in the auditorium how the sound is balanced and verifying the quality of the final recording--all without a boss.
At times the whole team may follow someone, but whom the team follows rotates from task to task among the members that the team finds capable. The Orpheus team even has developed seminars and training sessions for adapting the Orpheus Process to business. [1]
Other varieties of leadership
Accordingly, there are many uses for the word "leadership": it can mean a collective group of leaders or it can also mean the special if not mystical characteristics of those who lead (compare hero). Yet other usages have a leadership which does not lead, but to which one simply shows respect (compare the courtesy title reverend). Aside from the prestige-role sometimes granted to inspirational leaders, a more mundane meaning of the word "leadership" can mean "current front-runners": someone can take over the lead in a race, for example; or a corporation or a product can hold a position of market leadership.
In would-be controlling groups such as political parties, ruling elites, and other belief-based enterprises like religions or business, the idea of leadership can become a Holy Grail and people can come to expect transformational change stemming from the leader; such entities encourage their followers and believers to worship leadership, to respect it, and to strive to become proficient in it. Followers in such a situation may become uncritically obedient. Note the different connotations of a synonym of the word "leader" adopted from the German: Führer. Alternatives to the cult of leadership include co-operative ventures, collegiality, consensus, anarchism and democracy.
Aristocratic thinkers have postulated that leadership depends on one's blue blood or genes. Contrariwise, more democratically-inclined theorists have pointed to examples of meritocratic leaders, such as the Napoleonic marshals profiting from careers open to talent. In similar fashion, traditionalists recall the role of leadership of the Roman pater familias; against which feminist thinking posits emotionally attuned responsive and consensual empathetic guidance.
Many organizations aim to identify, foster and promote leadership potential or ability. See for example the Scouting movement.
For a more general take on leadership in politics, compare the concept of the statesman.
Also see
- leadership development
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Leadership."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
LEAD | English | Learn,execute and diagnose | Computing |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: LeadSynonyms: atomic number 82 (n), confidential information (n), hint (n), jumper cable (n), jumper lead (n), lead story (n), lead-in (n), leading (n), leash (n), pencil lead (n), principal (n), spark advance (n), star (n), steer (n), tether (n), tip (n), track (n), trail (n), wind (n), chair (v), conduce (v), conduct (v), contribute (v), direct (v), extend (v), go (v), guide (v), head (v), leave (v), moderate (v), pass (v), precede (v), result (v), run (v), take (v). (additional references) |
| Synonym by domain: leashed (european union, industry). |
| Antonym: follow (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Depth | Soundings, depth of water, water, draught, submersion; plummet, sound, probe; sounding rod, sounding line; lead. |
Direction | Verb: direct, manage, govern, conduct; order, prescribe, cut out work for; bead, lead; lead the way, show the way; take the lead, lead on; regulate, guide, steer, pilot; tackle |
Government | Rule, sway, command, control, administer; govern; (direct); lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne; sway the scepter, wield the scepter; wear the crown. |
Precedence | Verb: precede; come before, come first; head, lead, take the lead; lead the way, lead the dance; be in the vanguard; introduce, usher in; have the pas; set the fashion; (influence); open the ball; take precedence, have precedence; have the start; (get before). |
Superiority | Supremacy, preeminence; lead; maximum; record; gr/trikumia/, climax; culmination; (summit); transcendence; ne plus ultra; lion's share, Benjamin's mess; excess, surplus; (remainder); (redundancy). |
Tendency | Verb: tend, contribute, conduce, lead, dispose, incline, verge, bend to, trend, affect, carry, redound to, bid fair to, gravitate towards; promote; (aid). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | These doors lead to many places (The Matrix Reloaded; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski) Fill a man full o' lead, stick him in the ground an' then read words on him. Why, when you've killed a man, why try to read the Lord in as a partner on the job (Red River; writing credit: Borden Chase) One day, our paths will lead us there and the tower guard will take up the call: The Lords of Gondor have returned (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; writing credit: Frances Walsh) Lead, lead (Monty Python and the Holy Grail; writing credit: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.) Easy you don't lead 'em so much (Full Metal Jacket; writing credit: Gustav Hasford; Michael Herr) | |
Lyrics | Love will lead you back to my arms (Love Will Lead You Back; performing artist: Taylor Dayne) One thing lead to another we were young (Heat of the Moment; performing artist: Asia) And there you lead me on (Like A Stone; performing artist: AUDIOSLAVE) My heart will lead me there soon (Beyond the Sea; performing artist: Bobby Darin) Is going to lead (It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday; performing artist: Boyz II Men) | |
Clever | Dusty bibles lead to dirty lives. (references; author: unknown) God's will will not lead you where His grace cannot keep you. (references; author: unknown) WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe you are invisible. (references; author: unknown) Thoughts lead to acts. Acts lead to habits. Habits lead to character, and our characters will determine our eternal destiny. (references; author: unknown) | |
Tongue Twisters | A lump of red lead, A red lead lump. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Hot Lead (1969) A Taste of Hot Lead (1969) Hot Lead (1951) Lead Shoes (1949) 13 Lead Soldiers (1948) | |
Song Titles | Lead Me On (performing artist: Maxine Nightingale) Love Will Lead You Back (performing artist: Taylor Dayne) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References |
| ||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals |
| ||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | In 1930, Senator Joseph E. Ransdell of Louisiana, convinced that fundamental research could lead to cures for diseases, got his Ransdell Act through Congress. This Act reorganized and expanded the Hygienic Laboratory and renamed it the National Institute of Health. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |  | “Nonspecific” urethritis in the presence of mixed flora with few bacteria, and associated with neutrophils, without further testing, can possibly lead to a differential diagnosis of gonorrhea. Credit: CDC. |
 | Crowd waiting for oral polio vaccine in 1962. Today CDC now recommends that we give only the injectable vaccine because of the very small chance that the oral dose can lead to a polio infection. Credit: CDC. |  | Sounding from small boat - note splash of lead to the right. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Charles Anton Schott Great mathematician, geodesist, geophysicist, and climatologist Lead the effort to survey the 39th Parallel. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Man-made canal with eroding bank. The cutting of canals often changes the water circulation in marsh systems and can lead to their decline. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | The TERRA NOVA -- "In the pack - a lead opening up." In: "Scott's Last Expedition ....", 1913. Dodd, Mead, and Company. New York. Volume I. Page 48. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | Tom Fontiero, lead fisherman on the ALBATROSS IV, in center. Holding a large cod. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | Pole and line fishing. Man in foreground is throwing live bait in water to keep school of tuna around the boat. Man with hose is spraying water to keep tuna from noticing boat. Lines in upper left lead to pulley system. When large fish is hooked, a man pulls on rope to pull fishing pole vertical which brings fish to side of boat for gaffing. Credit: Fisheries. |  | Currents and Temperature - Atlantic waters enter the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar and flow east along the North African coast, becoming more saline as evaporation exceeds freshwater inflows. Thus, the Mediterranean is mor e saline than the Atlantic. Strong temperature, salinity, and available nutrien t gradients lead to high biodiversity reflected by regional faunal differences. Credit: Fisheries. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Holy Lead" by Tijs Gerritsen Commentary: "Cathedral, Antwerp, Belgium." | "Lead Window" by Chico Iuliano Commentary: "A beautiful lead window inside a gothic cathedral." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Aesop | Self conceit may lead to self destruction. |
Cervantes | Why do you lead me a wild goose chase? |
Euripides | The good and the wise lead quiet lives. |
General George S. Patton, Jr. | Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. |
Lao-Tzu | To lead people walk behind them. |
Lord Byron | When we think we lead we are most led. |
Napoleon Bonaparte | Men are lead by trifles. |
Thomas Gray | The paths of glory lead but to the grave. |
Virgil | Wherever the fates lead us let us follow. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
John Locke | 1690 | It was natural for them to put themselves under a frame of government which might best serve to that end, and chuse the wisest and bravest man to conduct them in their wars, and lead them out against their enemies, and in this chiefly be their ruler. (Second Treatise of Government) |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | If there should arise between Members of the League any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, which is not submitted to arbitration in accordance with Article 13, the Members of the League agree that they will submit the matter to the Council. (reference) |
Winston S. Churchill | 1946 | It would greatly expand that of the British Empire Forces and it might well lead, if and as the world calms down, to important financial savings. ("Iron Curtain" Speech) |
John F. Kennedy | 1961 | With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own. (reference) |
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | 1963 | The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. (Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1938) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | A very friendly inquiry after Miss Fairfax, she hoped, might lead the way to a return of old feelings |
Tangled Tale | Carroll, Lewis | I HAVE received several letters on the subjects of Knots II and VI, which lead me to think some further explanation desirable |
A Christmas Carol | Dickens, Charles | Lead on |
Life, the Universe and Everything | Douglas Adams | One thing, he further added, "has suddenly ceased to lead to another" - in contradiction of which he had another drink and slid gracelessly off his chair |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | To stop is the part of the lead and not of the leadsman |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | Heron gave the lead and all three joined in a scornful laugh |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | He bowed his head, and the others followed his lead. |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | IPF can lead to death. (references) | |
IBS does not lead to cancer. (references) | ||
A stroke can lead to emotional problems. (references) | ||
Business | Taiwan and China lead the home equipment import segment. (references) | |
The East Asian countries lead on the cost and shipment time fronts. (references) | ||
The changes will lead to an industry where suppliers wield the sword. (references) | ||
Children | Mexico | He also urged state and local governments to follow his lead in developing such measures. (references) |
Venezuela | Fears of entanglement with the authorities and societal ingrained attitudes regarding family privacy lead to underreporting of child abuse. (references) | |
Cameroon | In June the Cooperative of the Handicapped Persons of Cameroon occupied two abandoned government residences in Yaounde and Douala in order to have locations where the cooperative could lead its social activities in lieu of scarce resources. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Chad | Sheikh Marouf may pray but is not permitted to lead prayers. (references) |
Turkey | These activities also occasionally lead to police detention and trials. (references) | |
Jordan | Division-level commanders and above are required to lead Islamic prayer for certain occasions. (references) | |
Economic History | Nicaragua | Occasional power outages lead to higher costs. (references) |
Taiwan | This scrutiny can lead to delays and reversals. (references) | |
Mexico | Gold, silver, and lead are mined and processed in two plants. (references) | |
Human Rights | Bolivia | Counternarcotics prosecutors lead the investigation of narcotics cases. (references) |
Ukraine | Human rights groups hope these visits may lead to a reduction in the incidence of torture. (references) | |
Ghana | The Serious Fraud Office also investigates cases of fraud that lead to government financial loss. (references) | |
Indigenous People | Peru | For those who do, there exists the problem that title to land does not include mineral or other subsoil rights; this condition could lead to conflicts between mining interests and indigenous communities. (references) |
Malaysia | The Orang Asli, who number roughly 100,000, are the poorest group in the country; however, according to government officials, the Orang Asli gradually are attaining comparable levels of standards of living as other citizens, and the percentage of Orang Asli who lead nomadic lifestyles has dropped to less than 40 percent. (references) | |
Minorities | Egypt | The lead judge cited inadequate evidence in justifying the verdicts. (references) |
Political Economy | Namibia | A large court backlog, due primarily to resource constraints, continued to lead to lengthy delays of trials. (references) |
Ecuador | MPD leaders lead anti-government protests seeking to raise wages, guarantee employment, and stop needed reforms. (references) | |
Burma | Still, it is too early to predict how long these talks may continue or whether they may ultimately lead to democratic reform. (references) | |
Political Rights | Cote d'Ivoire | Henriette Dagri Diabate serves as Secretary General of the RDR; she is the first woman to lead a political party. (references) |
Czech Republic | In June Hana Marvanova became the first female head of a parliamentary party when she was elected to lead the Unie Svobody (Freedom Union) party. (references) | |
Vietnam | In June legislators concerned that passage of the bill would lead to widespread miscarriages of justice, rejected a bill that could have granted district courts wider powers. (references) | |
Trade | Bahrain | Bahrain follows the lead of Saudi Arabia on such issues. (references) |
Kenya | Bilateral donors lead in provision of project financing, followed by multilateral and PVOs. (references) | |
China | China's expected accession to WTO will lead to a significant opening of this industry to foreign participation. (references) | |
Travel | Korea | Possession of s |
