Leadership in Different Languages
Discover 'Leadership' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Leadership is a powerful word that carries significant weight in any language. It refers to the ability of an individual or an organization to guide, inspire, and influence others toward a common goal. This cultural importance is reflected in the many different translations of the word ‘leadership’ around the world.
Throughout history, great leaders have emerged from every corner of the globe, each leaving their own unique mark on society. From ancient philosophers like Confucius, who taught the importance of virtuous leadership, to modern-day CEOs who drive innovation and growth, leadership has always been a vital component of human progress.
Understanding the translation of leadership in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances that shape our understanding of this concept. For example, in Spanish, ‘liderazgo’ emphasizes the importance of vision and direction, while in German, ‘Führung’ highlights the need for authority and control.
In this article, we explore the many translations of leadership from around the world, shedding light on the fascinating cultural contexts that have shaped our understanding of this vital concept.
Leadership
Leadership in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | leierskap | ||
| The Afrikaans word "leierskap" ultimately derives from the Old English word "lǣdere", meaning "one who leads"} | |||
| Amharic | አመራር | ||
| "አመራር" derives from the verb "መራ" meaning "to guide" or "to show the way", indicating that leadership in Amharic is closely tied to the concept of guidance and direction. | |||
| Hausa | jagoranci | ||
| The Hausa word "jagoranci" also means "to show the way" or "to guide." | |||
| Igbo | ndu | ||
| In Igbo, the word “ndu” has a range of meanings linked to “life,” including “leadership,” “existence,” and “health.” | |||
| Malagasy | mpitarika | ||
| "Mpitarika" is derived from the root "tarika," which means "way" or "path," suggesting that a leader guides others along the path. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | utsogoleri | ||
| Utsogoleri derives from the verb "-tsogola" meaning to "gather" or "assemble" and thus implies leading the assembly or a group of people. | |||
| Shona | hutungamiri | ||
| The word 'hutungamiri' in Shona, besides meaning 'leadership', also refers to an ancestral spirit that is revered and worshipped, and is believed to lead the people. | |||
| Somali | hoggaanka | ||
| Cognate with the Oromo word "hogan", meaning "chief", "leader", or "head of a clan." | |||
| Sesotho | boetapele | ||
| Sesotho word 'boetapele' is a compound of 'etapele' ('to lead') with the prefix 'bo-', which often denotes a respected group. | |||
| Swahili | uongozi | ||
| 'Uongozi' is derived from the verb 'uongo' meaning 'lies', and also refers to a 'false path'. | |||
| Xhosa | ubunkokheli | ||
| The etymology of 'ubunkokheli' is not fully established, with various theories suggesting connections to concepts of light or illumination. | |||
| Yoruba | olori | ||
| "Olóri" also means "crown" and refers to the physical symbol of a monarch's authority in Yoruba culture. | |||
| Zulu | ubuholi | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubuholi' refers not only to leadership but also to the quality of a person who is wise and respected within the community. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛmɔgɔya | ||
| Ewe | kplɔlanyenye | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuyobozi | ||
| Lingala | bokambi | ||
| Luganda | obukulembeze | ||
| Sepedi | boetapele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akannifoɔ | ||
Leadership in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القيادة | ||
| The word "القيادة" also means "driving" or "operating" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מַנהִיגוּת | ||
| "מנהיגות" is derived from the root "נהג", meaning "to lead" or "to guide". The term also has a secondary meaning referring to a woman who is a leader or a guide. | |||
| Pashto | رهبري | ||
| The Pashto word "رهبري" can also refer to "a group of people following a leader." | |||
| Arabic | القيادة | ||
| The word "القيادة" also means "driving" or "operating" in Arabic. | |||
Leadership in Western European Languages
| Albanian | udhëheqja | ||
| The Albanian word "udhëheqja" is derived from the verb "udhëheq" (to lead), which in turn comes from the Proto-Albanian word *udhi- (way, path). | |||
| Basque | lidergoa | ||
| The Basque word "lidergoa" literally means "the state of leading" or "the position of a leader". | |||
| Catalan | lideratge | ||
| The word "lideratge" comes from the Latin word "dux", meaning "leader", and shares its root with "duce" and "duke." | |||
| Croatian | rukovodstvo | ||
| The word 'rukovodstvo' also refers to a textbook or manual in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | ledelse | ||
| The word 'ledelse' is derived from the Old Norse word 'leiðing', meaning 'guidance' or 'direction'. | |||
| Dutch | leiderschap | ||
| Leiderschap is a Dutch word that originally meant "the ability to lead" but has come to mean "leadership" in the sense of "the position of a leader." | |||
| English | leadership | ||
| The word 'leadership' derives from the Old English words 'laedan' (to lead) and 'scipe' (a state of being). | |||
| French | direction | ||
| The French word “direction” can also mean “way” or “road” | |||
| Frisian | liederskip | ||
| In some dialects "liederskip" means "a group of people". For example, "liederwurk" means "teamwork". | |||
| Galician | liderado | ||
| The Galician word "liderado" originates from the Latin word "ducatus," meaning "leadership, command". | |||
| German | führung | ||
| The German word "Führung" not only means "leadership" but also "guidance" and "command". | |||
| Icelandic | forysta | ||
| The Icelandic word "forysta" is derived from the Old Norse word "forust" meaning "first" or "foremost." | |||
| Irish | ceannaireacht | ||
| The word "ceannaireacht" in Irish has several alternate meanings, including "generalship," "mastery," or "dominion." | |||
| Italian | comando | ||
| The Italian word "comando" can also refer to a military unit carrying out special operations. | |||
| Luxembourgish | féierung | ||
| Maltese | tmexxija | ||
| The word "tmexxija" is derived from the Arabic word "tamaddud" meaning "stretching" or "extension" and is often used to refer to the act of leading or managing a group or organization. | |||
| Norwegian | ledelse | ||
| In Norwegian "ledelse" not only refers to leadership, it also carries the meaning of "guidance". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | liderança | ||
| The term 'liderança' is also used in Portuguese to refer to the 'process' of leading. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceannardas | ||
| The term 'ceannardas' is derived from the Gaelic words 'ceann' meaning 'head' and 'ard' meaning 'high' or 'chief'. | |||
| Spanish | liderazgo | ||
| In Spanish, "liderazgo" can also refer to the art or technique of leading. | |||
| Swedish | ledarskap | ||
| The word "ledarskap" is derived from the Old Norse word "leiðari", meaning "leader", and the suffix "-skap", meaning "condition, state, or quality." | |||
| Welsh | arweinyddiaeth | ||
| "Arweinyddiaeth" derives from a verb meaning "to lead" but is also a word for "providence". | |||
Leadership in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кіраўніцтва | ||
| Bosnian | vođstvo | ||
| The word 'vođstvo' in Bosnian is also used to refer to the leading position in a sports team or in a race. | |||
| Bulgarian | лидерство | ||
| The term "лидерство" etymologically refers to the ability to establish and maintain superiority and influence on others, coming from the Old Russian word "лидеръ" meaning "guide" or "chief." | |||
| Czech | vedení lidí | ||
| The word "vedení" in Czech can also mean "wire" or "conducting". | |||
| Estonian | juhtimine | ||
| The verb 'juhtima' from which 'juhtimine' comes, means 'to channel (water)' or 'to direct'. | |||
| Finnish | johtajuutta | ||
| The word "johtajuutta" in Finnish derives from the word "johtaa" meaning "to lead" or "to guide". | |||
| Hungarian | vezetés | ||
| The word "vezetés" also means "driving" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | vadība | ||
| Latvian "vadība" can also denote the action of leading, guidance, or management. | |||
| Lithuanian | vadovavimas | ||
| The word "vadovavimas" in Lithuanian is derived from the verb "vadovauti" which means "to guide" or "to lead". | |||
| Macedonian | лидерство | ||
| The word "лидерство" (leadership) originates from the English word "leader", which itself comes from the Old English word "lædan", meaning "to guide, lead, or conduct." | |||
| Polish | przywództwo | ||
| "Przywództwo" is thought to derive from the Slavic word "władza," or "power," and thus is related to the German word "waltan," meaning "to rule." | |||
| Romanian | conducere | ||
| The word "conducere" in Romanian originates from the Latin word "conducere," meaning "to lead" or "to guide." | |||
| Russian | лидерство | ||
| “Лидерство” происходит от немецкого “Leiter”, что по-русски соответствует слову “лестница” или “руководитель”. | |||
| Serbian | вођство | ||
| The Serbian word "vođstvo" can also refer to "guidance". It derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "voditelь", which means "guide" or "leader". | |||
| Slovak | vedenie | ||
| 'Vedenie' is a derivative of 'viezt' which means 'to know', thus it originally meant 'knowing' or 'knowledge'. | |||
| Slovenian | vodstvo | ||
| The word "vodstvo" also means "water management" or "navigation" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | керівництво | ||
| The word "керівництво" comes from the verbs "керувати" and "вести", meaning "to control" and "to lead", in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
Leadership in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নেতৃত্ব | ||
| The word "নেতৃত্ব" is derived from the Sanskrit word "नीति" (nīti), which means "conduct, policy, or principle". | |||
| Gujarati | નેતૃત્વ | ||
| The word "નેતૃત્વ" (leadership) in Gujarati can also mean "the act of leading or being a leader." | |||
| Hindi | नेतृत्व | ||
| The word 'नेतृत्व' in Hindi can also refer to a rope used to lead a horse or an elephant. | |||
| Kannada | ನಾಯಕತ್ವ | ||
| The Kannada word "ನಾಯಕತ್ವ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nayaka," meaning "leader" or "commander." | |||
| Malayalam | നേതൃത്വം | ||
| This Malayalam word is derived from Sanskrit 'netr', meaning 'guide'. | |||
| Marathi | नेतृत्व | ||
| The Marathi word "नेतृत्व" can also refer to the process of leading or the capacity for leadership. | |||
| Nepali | नेतृत्व | ||
| नेतृत्व (leadership) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'neta' (leader), which is also the source of the Nepali word 'neta' (leader) in politics. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਗਵਾਈ | ||
| "ਅਗਵਾਈ" in Punjabi originates from the Sanskrit word "अग्र" (agra), meaning "foremost" or "in front," and "वाद" (vaad), meaning "act of speaking" or "discourse," suggesting leading through communication and example. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නායකත්වය | ||
| The word "නායකත්වය" (leadership) in Sinhala derives from the Sanskrit word "नायकत्व" (nāyakatva), which also means "leading" or "leadership." | |||
| Tamil | தலைமைத்துவம் | ||
| Telugu | నాయకత్వం | ||
| The Telugu word "నాయకత్వం" is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "नायकत्वम्" (nāyakatvam), which means "the quality or state of a leader." | |||
| Urdu | قیادت | ||
| The word "قیادت" in Urdu can also mean "drive" or "riding". | |||
Leadership in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 领导 | ||
| The full form of '领导' in English is 'to take and guide' which is written in Chinese as '领' and '导' separately. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 領導 | ||
| 領導 can also mean a collar or a tie. | |||
| Japanese | リーダーシップ | ||
| The Japanese word "リーダーシップ" (rīdāshippu) is derived from the English word "leadership," and has the same meaning. | |||
| Korean | 지도 | ||
| While “지도” often refers to leadership or guidance, it can also mean "map" or "plan". | |||
| Mongolian | манлайлал | ||
| The word "манлайлал" can also mean "guidance" or "direction". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခေါင်းဆောင်မှု | ||
Leadership in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kepemimpinan | ||
| Kepemimpinan is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *kapal, meaning "vessel" or "head," and refers to the person in charge of a ship or group of people. | |||
| Javanese | kepemimpinan | ||
| The Javanese word "kepemimpinan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pemimpin", which means "guide" or "leader". | |||
| Khmer | ភាពជាអ្នកដឹកនាំ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມເປັນຜູ້ ນຳ | ||
| Malay | kepimpinan | ||
| "Kepimpinan" is derived from the Malay word "pimpin" meaning "to lead by the hand," and has the connotation of guidance and direction. | |||
| Thai | ความเป็นผู้นำ | ||
| The Thai word “ความเป็นผู้นำ” (leadership) can also refer to “acting leadership” (locum tenens), “acting head of department,” and “acting director.” | |||
| Vietnamese | khả năng lãnh đạo | ||
| In Vietnamese, "khả năng lãnh đạo" is composed of "khả" (ability), "năng" (ability), "lãnh" (lead), and "đạo" (guide), with an overall meaning of "ability to lead and guide". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamumuno | ||
Leadership in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | liderlik | ||
| The word "liderlik" in Azerbaijani ultimately originates from the French word "leader" via Russian, but is also related to the Turkish word "liderlik" meaning "guidance."} | |||
| Kazakh | көшбасшылық | ||
| Kyrgyz | лидерлик | ||
| The word 'лидерлик' is derived from the Russian word 'лидерство' which originated from the English word 'leadership'. | |||
| Tajik | роҳбарӣ | ||
| "Роҳбарӣ" derives from the Persian "rāhbar" meaning "guide" or "director" and is also used to refer to management or guidance. | |||
| Turkmen | ýolbaşçylygy | ||
| Uzbek | etakchilik | ||
| The word "etakchilik" is derived from the word "etak", meaning "leader" or "guide" in Turkish. | |||
| Uyghur | رەھبەرلىك | ||
Leadership in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alakaʻi | ||
| The Hawaiian word alakaʻi can also denote a 'guide', such as a tour or spiritual guide. | |||
| Maori | ārahitanga | ||
| The word ārahitanga can also refer to guidance, direction, or management. | |||
| Samoan | taʻitaʻi | ||
| The word 'taʻitaʻi' can also refer to a leader or a guide. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pamumuno | ||
| The word "pamumuno" has multiple meanings, including "guidance," "authority," and "supervision." | |||
Leadership in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irpirinaka | ||
| Guarani | tendota rehegua | ||
Leadership in International Languages
| Esperanto | gvidado | ||
| Esperanto derives the word "gvidado" from "gvidi," meaning to guide, which shares an origin with the word "vidi," meaning to see, and also "sidi," meaning to sit. | |||
| Latin | ducis | ||
| "Ducis" also means "of a leader" and "commander." | |||
Leadership in Others Languages
| Greek | ηγεσία | ||
| The word ηγεσία is derived from the verb άγω, meaning 'to lead' or 'to guide'. | |||
| Hmong | kev ua thawj coj | ||
| The word "kev ua thawj coj" can also refer to a leader's followers or supporters. | |||
| Kurdish | birêvebirî | ||
| The Kurdish word "birêvebirî" is translated to "brotherhood" in English, and can also be used in a broader sense of "fellowship" or "comradeship." | |||
| Turkish | liderlik | ||
| "Lider" in Turkish comes from the French word "leader" and originally meant "guide". | |||
| Xhosa | ubunkokheli | ||
| The etymology of 'ubunkokheli' is not fully established, with various theories suggesting connections to concepts of light or illumination. | |||
| Yiddish | פירערשאַפט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פירערשאַפט" also refers to a person who leads a group or organization. | |||
| Zulu | ubuholi | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubuholi' refers not only to leadership but also to the quality of a person who is wise and respected within the community. | |||
| Assamese | নেতৃত্ব | ||
| Aymara | irpirinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | नेतृत्व के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ލީޑަރޝިޕް | ||
| Dogri | नेतृत्व दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamumuno | ||
| Guarani | tendota rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | panangidaulo | ||
| Krio | lidaship fɔ bi lida | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرکردایەتی | ||
| Maithili | नेतृत्व | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯨꯆꯤꯡꯕꯒꯤ ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ ꯂꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hruaitu nihna a ni | ||
| Oromo | hoggansa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନେତୃତ୍ୱ | ||
| Quechua | umalliy | ||
| Sanskrit | नेतृत्वम् | ||
| Tatar | лидерлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣመራርሓ | ||
| Tsonga | vurhangeri | ||