Final answer:
Research on leadership has moved beyond traits and skills to include followership and the broader social and environmental context, allowing for a deeper understanding of leader-follower dynamics and the development of charismatic leadership.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inability to explain leadership solely from traits and skills has led researchers to look at followership, leader-follower dynamics, and the social and environmental factors influencing leadership. Studies suggest that understanding the interaction between leaders and followers is crucial to comprehend the complex nature of leadership. Factors such as individual follower characteristics like extroversion, societal norms, and pre-existing social structures play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of different leadership styles. Furthermore, charismatic leadership often needs to be contextualized within the social and environmental setting, as it shapes the leader's approach and the followers' reactions. Psychological aspects of leadership also consider the transition of charismatic leaders into formal political roles, potentially leading to a 'personality cult'. This phenomenon examines how leaders manage their public image and persona when they gain official political power. Lastly, the distinction between socialized and personalized charismatic leadership highlights the differences in how leaders may act based on their motivations, whether it be for collective interest or personal gain.