Leadership is best defined as the ability to:

A) network and look good to others.
B) persuade a group to make its agenda fit the leader's own.
C) influence people toward the attainment of goals.
D) interact with other members of a group on either an individual or network basis.

Leadership involves being able to inspire and guide a group of people towards achieving a common goal or objective. This requires the ability to influence others and motivate them to work towards a shared vision, which is captured by option C. Options A and B largely focus on superficial or manipulative qualities that do not necessarily equate to effective leadership. Option D is too broad and does not capture the essence of leadership.