Sikhism has no clergy, and anyone qualified may fill any role in worship. The religion is based on the teachings of its ten Gurus enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib, and all Sikhs are disciples of the Guru, who is a spiritual guide or teacher. The first Sikh Guru, Nanak, established the practice of naming his successor before his death, and from the time of Ram Das, the fourth to reign, the Gurus all came from one family. The Guruship was finally passed on by the tenth guru to the holy Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which is now considered the living Guru by the followers of the Sikh faith.
In Sikhism, there are no structured hierarchies or strict divisions of duties, and generally, any Amritdhari Sikh, with the necessary skills and proficiencies, can perform all the ceremonial and other duties in a Gurdwara without any discrimination regarding gender, caste, or race. A scholar of Sikhism (gyani or giani) leads the congregation in prayer, and another worship leader is called the granthi (the one who tends and reads the sacred scripture) . A musician may be called a ragi (one who knows the ragas/melodies) .
In summary, a Sikh leader can refer to anyone qualified to fill any role in worship, including a scholar of Sikhism, a granthi, or a ragi. There is no structured hierarchy or strict division of duties in Sikhism, and any Amritdhari Sikh, with the necessary skills and proficiencies, can perform all the ceremonial and other duties in a Gurdwara without any discrimination regarding gender, caste, or race.
