The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is running another of its speakers series called “What is the next Big Question?”. The series first caught my eye when I received an email asking “Can we build a brain?” Much to my disappointment, not yet! This year, however, the series is being launched by asking “What makes a great leader?” As CIFAR says in its preamble,
“The truth is ... that the most effective leaders draw on a “we-based” collective identity – followers see their leader as “one of us.” It is group identity, not a single person, that makes or breaks the leader. In fact, to really understand what makes an effective leader, we also have to understand what makes a dedicated follower…
…better understanding of leadership is key to dealing with every major political, environmental and economic crisis in the world today.”
When I first read these words, I immediately took them to mean a leader who builds consensus. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized they could also mean a leader who conjures up enemies ... thereby creating an "us against them" culture ... to maintain cohesion in his or her group. So now I'm truly intrigued. Which is the better model, I wonder? Dr. Alex Haslam will no doubt provide further insights.
Does this mean that white supremacist groups and various nationalist/fascist political parties are exemplars of leadership? There is strong group identity and fanatically motivated followers, after all. Perhaps we need to learn to think and take responsibility rather than play follow the leader.
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