Rarely is a textbook so easy to read and packed with such useful information for practitioners, but ‘The New Psychology of Leadership: Identify, Influence, and Power (2nd ed.)’ by Haslam, Reicher, and Platow (2020, Taylor & Francis Group) does just that.
It offers a unique perspective on leadership and its interaction with group dynamics by arguing that successful leadership occurs when the leader creates, champions, and embeds a group identity to create a shared understanding of ‘us’, of which the leader themselves is representative. The primary suggestion is that leadership is not a product of one’s “I-ness”, but of their “we-ness.”
Inspired by research on social identify and self-categorization theories from decades of scientific and anecdotal evidence it addresses alternative theories in order to strengthen the authors’ position, and the argument is very convincing.
This is a well-organized book, that walks you through the traditional view of leadership before leading you into the new theory that leaders are identity entrepreneurs and champions who create a shared sense of who ‘we’ are and then motivate the group into a shared endeavour.
Highly recommended for anyone working in leadership, organizational psychology, or aspiring to do so this well-written and engaging book is definitely worth the read, and re-read.