Leadership acts on followers through collective group norms, not just individual exchange

Evidence

What, then, determines whether and when followers invest their faith in a leader and open themselves up to the process of transformation? The ostensible answer is often provided in intraor interpersonal terms. Yet often there is at least an implicit acknowledgement that a collective level of analysis is important as well. Thus, as we have already seen, transformational theories emphasize the redefinition of group norms and objectives. Along similar lines, House’s (1971) path-goal theory sees the successful leader as someone who engages followers’ wills by reconciling their personal goals with those of the collective. — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 34

Categorization

• XREF: Directly serves the reading purpose: multiple leadership literatures arrive at collective-level analysis, converging on the shared-identity account the reader is testing. — connects to: Leadership theory wrestles with celebrating influence without endorsing tyranny. — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 20; No stable traits distinguish leaders from followers or predict effectiveness — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 27; A charismatic leader can give isolated youth the sense of existing through group power. — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 376 (+18 more)

Broader Connections

• Leadership is cognitively framed as a group-level rather than relational process #corroborates (0.92) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2356
• Leadership must be understood as a group process rather than a leader-follower dyad #expands (0.90) — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 35
• Leadership requires both shared identity and consensus on who best embodies the group view #corroborates (0.85) — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 67
• Leaders politicize groups by embodying the shared identity that makes their frames normative #exemplifies (0.83) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4439
• Leadership rests on reciprocal imitation, each following because others follow #expands (0.82) — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 738
• Leadership derives from reciprocal imitation that frees the leader from individual obedience demands #expands (0.80)
• Leaders are accepted only when embodying features shared with followers #expands (0.79) — Ernesto Laclau, On Populist Reason, 153
• Follower compliance tracks how well a leader embodies the group prototype #expands (0.78) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1765
• Small groups succeed at collective action because dyadic trust motivates cooperation #complicates (0.78)
• A spellbinding leader’s identity analogies succeed only when followers co-develop them #exemplifies (0.76) — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 113
• Followers transform leader identity into commitment mainly through emotional attachment, not categorization #complicates (0.75) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1863
• Coordination behind a leader generates trust because followers can withdraw support #qualifies (0.74)
• Leaders convert social identity into social reality by initiating group and societal structures #corroborates (0.73) — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 118
• Leaders gain support by favoring ingroup members over even-handedness #qualifies (0.72) — Stephen Reicher, S. Alexander Haslam, and Nick Hopkins, Social identity and the dynamics of…, 49
• Transformational leadership does not by itself predict follower commitment #complicates (0.72)