The document discusses traditional models for understanding leadership, including trait, behavioral, situational, and contingency approaches. It describes early theories that focused on leaders' traits but shifted to behavioral studies examining leadership as an observable process. The Michigan studies explored patterns of effective leadership behaviors. Situational leadership models emphasized that the most appropriate leadership style depends on characteristics of the situation. Vroom's decision tree approach proposed that the degree of subordinate participation in decision making should match the demands of the situation.