I think it is important for us to know the different ways of gathering evidence so that we can better judge information we are taking in. Specifically for this class, it will help us determine whether someone is making a good argument. If someone is using data gathered from poor research methods, we will be able to see that and judge the argument accordingly. However, if the research methods were sound, we will have an easier time trusting the research used to back up the argument. Each research method has limitations, so it important to apply the right one for the right situation,
I thought looking at SSSs in the second article was very interesting because this is where we can see leadership in its most natural state in my opinion. It sort of connects to the first reading and naturalistic observation because people in LSSs know they are being observed in a way and take on leadership roles for much different reasons. But the reasons people become leaders in SSSs explain a lot about human nature and our natural tendencies. These are things we should be aware of and keep in mind when examining leadership.
You bring up an interesting idea about the SSS leadership context being the natural state. I believe it is most natural because there are fewer free-riders, fewer opportunities for dominance, and an actual opportunity for a follower to know the leader first hand. I believe it is the purest form of leadership because there are fewer forces like wealth, fame, dominance driving the want to lead. In our current society, we read so much more about LSSs because they are much more prominent (governments, companies, etc) so I forget about the SSSs and their importance.
Your argument is very interesting and valid regarding the way in which we react to certain research and the impact it has on the argument. I think that is critical to have carefully conducted research incorporated in arguments, however, all this information does not have to be researched in the same exact way or with the same exact method. I personally liked the evolutionary approach in the SSS article, I think genealogy and lineage of concepts are particularly important in a complete and thorough evaluation.