Leadership is the driving force for organisational success. Studies on leadership have mostly concentrated on the effect of leadership on subordinates, firms and society, without talking much about how the led perceive leadership, based on their personal experiences and daily lives. This study consequently employed a case study research strategy, and a mixed research method, to explore the meaning of leadership to individuals in Takoradi Polytechnic in Ghana, in order to determine if their perception of leadership was based on what leaders are (i.e. their traits) do (i.e. their behaviour) and how they do it (i.e. leadership style).