ABSTRACT
In the study of international organization actors, a key area of focus has been the leaders of these organizations. While the executive heads of international organizations are labeled with a variety of titles, including Chairman, Director-General, Executive Director, General Secretary, and President, Secretary-General is both the most common and, given the particular emphasis that has been placed on the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, highestprofi le title used to capture this position. However, despite the important role a Secretary-General can play in international affairs, research has to date provided an incomplete understanding of leadership provided by offi ce-holders. To begin with, the great majority of studies have been carried out on the UN Secretary-General. While such an emphasis has led to a solid gathering of knowledge in certain areas regarding this offi ce, the work on the UN Secretary-General has also tended to be limited in scope due to the primary focus on peace and security and greater analysis of certain offi ce-holders compared to others.
