A Brief Research History of Leadership Focusing on Global Leadership Studies
The study of leadership has evolved significantly over the past century, with global leadership studies emerging as a distinct and increasingly important field. This evolution reflects our growing understanding of leadership complexity in an interconnected world. Early Foundations (1900s-1940s) Leadership research began with the Great Man Theory and Trait Theory which assumed leaders were born with inherent characteristics that made them effective across all contexts. Early researchers like Thomas Carlyle and Francis Galton focused on identifying universal traits of successful leaders, primarily studying Western military and political figures. The Behavioral Theory movement in the 1940s, led by researchers at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, shifted focus from who leaders are to what leaders do. This marked the first recognition that leadership effectiveness might vary across different contexts, laying groundwork for later cross-cultural considerations...