What makes a leader? While often asked in political and business settings, this question is somewhat new to the early childhood field. In fact, Kagan and Bowman (1997) cite as a "fundamental problem" the failure of the field to define "whether there is a particular set of skills associated with leadership, and, if so, what skills are important" (p. 6).

This article reports on a study by Jones (1998) that asked child care center directors to discuss characteristics of leaders — to go beyond "You know one when you see one." Forty-nine directors in three California counties participated in this study. Participants were divided into nine focus groups — three for each sector: public, private, and not-for-profit. Focus group research requires homogeneity of groups with respect to experience, a condition that has been found to maximize participants' comfort level and candor (Krueger, 1988, 1994). The focus group process facilitated in-depth discussion of directors' ideas about the nature of leadership and how leadership is demonstrated in daily practice. The process also provided for cross-comparisons of perceptions across sectors.

As the complexity of leaders and leadership has come to be appreciated, there is greater awareness of the roles that circumstance and relationships play in the making of a successful leader. There is also awareness that leaders operate in a variety of environments that demand different approaches, qualities, and skills. The data derived through this study provided some insights into the connection between leader characteristics and kinds of relationships participants perceived as essential.

A common approach to the study of leadership over the decades has been the cataloging of traits. Trait theory, as it is sometimes called, suggests that understanding and emulating qualities identified in great leaders can result in the replication of great leaders (Burns, 1978). However, as Wheatley (1992) points out, distilling the parts as a means of understanding the whole ignores the impact that the parts have on one another in the creation of the whole. Further, it fails to consider how the parts interact with environmental influences to give them their unique signature and significance in the minds and hearts of followers.

Directors in this study relayed their perspectives through accounts of their day-to-day experiences in their centers. In addition, some directors reflected a broader orientation to leadership through their work with professional organizations and local or regional political bodies. On the whole, participants' responses clustered into three categories: Interpersonal Characteristics, Personal Qualities, and Skills Associated with Leadership.

As with all aspects of human development and behavior, categories are overlapping and interactional, rather than discreet. The categories that emerged from this study are no different. However, for ease of discussion, they have been defined by their distinctions:

• Interpersonal Characteristics are relationship-dependent. That is, a person must be relating to others in an intentional way for the qualities to be apparent, or for that matter, to be necessary. Interpersonal Characteristics exist in the context of social interaction and are an extension of one's value system as it is exercised in relation to others.

• Personal Qualities, on the other hand, are seen as building blocks of one's character, having their foundation in childhood. They are perceived by participants as being difficult, if not impossible, to acquire later on. Personal Qualities are viewed as being fundamental to who one is, that is, who one perceives himself or herself to be, and who one is perceived to be by others.

• Skills Associated with Leadership represent those abilities that are acquired through education and practice. They are part of general competence, regardless of where or how one employs them. They can be honed and exercised with minimal regard for initiating, maintaining, or improving relationships.

Interpersonal characteristics

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