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Question: The chapters you are reading this week give you good historical background on some of the early leadership research.  First, there were trait theories which looked at what traits leaders have; then came behavioral theories trying to answer the question, "How do leaders behave?" As you will see later in the course, the action today is in situational theories which suggest that successful leaders behave in appropriate ways to interact with a particular situation.

Of all the research done in the area of trait theory, the one trait that keeps coming up over and over again as positively correlated with successful leadership is intelligence.  Leaders are smart. But what is intelligence?  How can it be measured? And, are leaders truly smarter than the rest of us?  Chapter 6 looks at these questions and zeros in on the concepts of intelligence and then the newer, hot topic of emotional intelligence.  It seems that some leaders, even those with IQs off the charts, simply don't have the emotional stability and sensitivity to be successful leaders in today's organizations.  Get expert-level assignment help in any subject.

As you read Chapter 7, be sure to learn about the Ohio State Studies and the University of Michigan Studies. Together, they formed the basis of the field of behavioral leadership studies.  Be familiar with the vocabulary of these studies like "initiating structure" and "consideration."   It was a short jump from these concepts to the The Leadership Grid of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. While the Leadership Grid (originally the Managerial Grid) speaks of "concern for results" and "concern for people," these are the same concepts.