A person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country
Old English lǣdan 'to lead' + -er
The one who shows the way when the path is unclear
Leadership language historically assumed male referent; studies show identical CVs rated differently when female name attached. 'Leader' can unconsciously default to masculine mental model.
Use neutrally; consider specifying context. When listing leaders, ensure gender-balanced representation to counter cognitive bias.
Women leaders have driven transformative change across domains (e.g., Harriet Tubman in abolition, Sally Ride in space science, Dolores Huerta in labor organizing) yet are systematically underrepresented in 'leadership' canons.
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