Research in leader election for intrusion detection systems (IDS) in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) focuses on developing secure, energy-efficient, and trust-based mechanisms to dynamically select suitable nodes as leaders for coordinating intrusion detection tasks. Various approaches use optimization algorithms, fuzzy-logic systems, and trust metrics to ensure fair and efficient leader selection while minimizing communication overhead and energy consumption. Recent works also integrate blockchain and game-theoretic models to prevent malicious or selfish nodes from influencing the election process. These strategies enhance detection accuracy, scalability, and robustness of IDS architectures, ensuring effective and adaptive network security in decentralized MANET environments.