Historical theorists describe the Great Man theory of leadership, which states that leaders are born, not made. Environmental and historical forces create conditions that allow leaders to emerge. Leaders, in tum, affect these events with successful outcomes, leave their mark on history, and are studied for their behavioral characteristics. Traits of military, political, and socioeconomic leaders are studied to determine the characteristics of good leaders and to try to capture the necessary skills and behaviors of good leadership.

Studies on leadership effectiveness have examined variables such as the concept and use of power, leader traits, leader behaviors, environmental and personal contingencies, leadership styles, and leadership theories and models. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and display different leadership traits and styles. They have different personalities and hold different values and assumptions. Leaders range from great historical figures to common community members. What is clear and undisputed is that leaders must have followers-leaders do not exist in isolation. Leaders must motivate, stimulate, and inspire their followers.

Leaders are a product of their times, their environments, their offices, their followers, and their own values and conceptualization of leadership, and all are essential parts of the leadership puzzle. For leadership to exist and function, for it to move others to achieve common goals and unite in a common purpose, a dynamic and yet fully unexplainable interaction must transpire between the leader and the follower. It is this dynamic interplay within the labyrinth of interacting variables that causes leadership to remain an enigma.