In this review, we aim to critically evaluate the state of the leadership and networks literature and provide a detailed overview of the various network-based approaches that can be leveraged in leadership research to accomplish three main objectives. First, we introduce an organizing framework that classifies the array of network-based approaches used in addressing leadership questions into two broad categories: descriptive versus predictive network-based approaches. Second, we critically review the leadership literature to assess the degree to which network-based approaches have been employed in leadership investigations, the major topic areas in leadership that have been investigated via a social network lens, and the extent to which network-based approaches have impacted researchers’ abilities to address major empirical challenges in leadership research—namely, the incorporation of multilevel, multisource, contextual, temporal, processual, and causal perspectives of leadership. Finally, we demonstrate the unique capabilities of the network-based approaches by showing how an exemplar topic in leadership investigations—leadership emergence—may be explored from multiple perspectives through the different categories of network-based models. By promoting a better understanding of network-based methodologies and their utilization in leadership research, we pave way for new ways of thinking about and framing leadership research questions.

在这篇综述中，我们的目标是批判性地评估领导力和网络文献的状况，并详细概述可用于领导力研究以实现三个主要目标的各种基于网络的方法。首先，我们介绍一个组织框架，该框架将用于解决领导力问题的一系列基于网络的方法分为两大类：描述性方法和基于预测性网络的方法。其次，我们批判性地回顾领导力文献，以评估基于网络的方法在领导力调查中的应用程度、通过社交网络镜头调查的领导力的主要主题领域，以及基于网络的方法的程度影响了研究人员解决领导力研究中主要实证挑战的能力，即领导力的多层次、多来源、情境、时间、过程和因果视角的结合。最后，我们通过展示如何通过不同类别的基于网络的模型从多个角度探索领导力调查中的典型主题（领导力涌现），展示了基于网络的方法的独特功能。通过促进更好地理解基于网络的方法及其在领导力研究中的运用，我们为思考和构建领导力研究问题的新方法铺平了道路。