This clip is a good summary of the relationship between April and Leslie’s characters on Parks and Recreation for those who may not be familiar with the show - April’s character spends much of the series being young, pessimistic, and lacking any long term goals or direction. Throughout the series however, as her character evolves, she becomes more complex and immersed in the lives of other characters, and we get to see glimpses of her talents and what sparks her passion. Leslie, while a leader in the more traditional sense in her job and eventual political aspirations, also exemplifies the leader-as-host role, going well beyond expectation to be a mentor and active supporter for everyone in her life. This is how she provides what turns out to be the ideal type of leadership for April and others who began with either no direction, or little thought or motivation to excel beyond their current status. As a host, through empathy, reliability, and unwavering commitment to the cause of lifting up the people around her, she’s able to uncover the hidden talents and passions of her friends and colleagues, and provide them with much needed support and guidance in the right direction.
Her leadership style also aligns to the more contemporary models of charismatic/value-based leadership - providing an idealistic vision and dedication to altruistic values, as well as team-oriented or servant leadership - enabling others to grow into their more fully-formed selves, while they in turn gain the inspiration to serve others. I think seeing this type of honorable and supportive character, especially in a lead role in multiple senses of the word, is a large part of why the show and the character made such a lasting impression, and resonated with me personally - it’s an example of the type of leadership we want to see in our elected officials, in our work environments, and in our personal lives.