Individual Differences and Traits.
The detailed information about leaders focuses our attention on the person. It represents a common belief that leaders possess something out of the ordinary - something within them that makes them special and worthy of our attention. Many believe that good leaders have natural, inborn characteristics that set them apart from others. However, research findings do not clearly support many popular theories about personal characteristics of leaders. The results of hundreds of studies do not yield a specific profile for leaders. Traits alone do not identify and define leaders.
The major difference between earlier approaches during the Trait Era and the recent ones is the researchers´ more complex approach. The search is not simply one individual trait or combination of traits. Instead, modern theorists consider the complex interaction among traits, behaviors, and situational characteristics, such as expectations of followers.