Abstract The aim of this study was to contribute to the growing body of research involving the subject of leadership, while looking at a facet of this phenomenon on which there appears to be very little data available. In the fast moving environment of the twenty first century, there is more and more pressure on leaders from every area of industry, commerce, community and public service to be capable of not only performing their basic tasks in the immediate scope of their area of responsibility, but also a growing expectation that they must be capable of exporting this ability into any environment or context that the organisation rapidly finds itself. There is little time to recruit, train and deploy new leaders when a novel situation presents itself. This research employs a qualitative approach utilising an interpretive multiple case study method to investigate what followers look for and expect in their leaders in the form of traits, values or characteristics. The investigation then looks to see what style of leader employs these values to best effect, suggesting that this type of style, based on this set of values, are the most likely to be durable across any context. The study is conducted looking at the wider culture of the individual participant in terms of age and era, gender, education, and the added dynamic of punishment as a leadership tool. While initial findings suggest that females may have this ability to transfer their leadership style at face value, the study acknowledges the variables involved and recommends the way forward for future research in this area.