The term leadership invokes different thoughts to different people, yet there seem to be images common to everyone. George Washington leading the Continental Army, Amelia Earhart breaking new ground for her gender and within the aviation community, and Winston Churchill guiding Britain through World War II, are notable examples of leadership with which we are familiar. Unfortunately, heroics are sometimes misconstrued as leadership, as though being a hero is the same as being a leader. The difference is that heroism is typically locked in time, like firefighters rescuing people from burning buildings, heroism is episodic. Leadership, on the other hand, is a process, a continuum of behavior and performance.
Leadership is what occurs between heroics.
It is what makes us prepared and equipped to be heroic. Some of the greatest known leaders in history made their biggest marks on humanity by steady stewardship of their people and responsibilities. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. had great impact on the world because of their perseverance and steadfast convictions. Measured over time, inspiring and effective leaders take on heroic proportions for having performed reliably and responsibly for long periods of time. Heroes should be celebrated, but their performance should not necessarily be understood as leadership .