Meso-modeling of leadership: Following James G. (Jerry) Hunt's lead in integrating micro- and macro-perspectives of leadership

This introduction provides a tribute to James G. (Jerry) Hunt as leader of leadership scholars, along with an overview to The Leadership Quarterly special issue on meso-modeling of leadership. Our tribute traces Jerry's evolution from a right-brain, defrocked engineer to a pioneering leadership scholar. Through early and sustained scholarly contributions regarding the importance of context to leadership, Jerry paved the way for meso-modeling perspectives on leadership, such as those reflected in this special issue. We conclude by highlighting the contribution of nine articles that serve to further Jerry's legacy through the advancement of conceptual and empirical insights into meso-level leadership processes.