Can chameleons lead?

In this exchange of letters, Art Bedeian and Dave Day attempt to square findings from the self-monitoring theory literature with what is known about leadership. Research suggests that high self-monitors [HSMs; relative to low self-monitors (LSMs)] are more likely to emerge as leaders. Bedeian, however, expresses skepticism about this finding. He notes that the description of a typical HSM does not correspond with what he considers to be the portfolio of a true leader. By drawing upon the self-monitoring and leadership literatures, Day responds to Bedeian's doubt about this finding, as well as other related issues. The exchange leads to a consideration of alternative views and their implications for future research on the relationship between self-monitoring and leadership. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.