Are you a Leader? What is Your Definition?

To me, the definition of good leadership seems to vary largely depending on the setting and circumstances.

For Example:

In the military, a leader focuses on the welfare of his subordinates almost to the exclusion of everything else. Nothing is more important than the personnel under his command. If they haven't eaten, he doesn't eat; if they haven't slept, he doesn't sleep.

In the corporate world, nothing is more important than the profits. A leader here is chosen by his ability to generate funds. Oh, he may give some cursory thought to his more productive subordinates, but he lets nothing stand in the way of the bottom line.

The world of Internet Marketing holds a different meaning of leadership. Here, a leader is the person who is the most innovative. Jon Leger comes to mind because of his ability to think "outside the box" and develop new and better ways of doing business online. Who hasn't at least heard of "$7 Secrets"? We look to "Big Mike" Kotzakolios to develop innovative, easy to use software, Kevin Riley for his "Marketing Recipes" and Paul Myers to give us a kick in the ass when we most need it.

I think the underlying reason that we follow these people is the fact that we are convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they actually care about whether or not we make it in this business.

The IM world is full of leaders; it just takes a long time to discover who they are.