Effective leadership lies at the heart of human progress and it is generally explained in terms of the personal qualities of leaders that set them apart from others - as superior, special, different. In contrast to this view, The New Psychology of Leadership argues that effective leadership is grounded in leaders’ capacity to embody and promote a social identity that they share with others. It argues that leadership is the product of individuals’ “we-ness” rather than of their “I-ness”.

This perspective forces us to see leadership, influence and power not as processes that revolve around individuals acting and thinking in isolation, but as group processes in which leaders and followers are joined together – and perceive themselves to be joined together – in shared endeavour. In order for this to succeed, leaders need to represent and champion the group and they also need to create and embed a sense of shared identity.

This talk presents evidence of these processes in action, and spells out implications for practice with reference to a Leadership through Identity Development Approach (LIDA).

About Professor Alex Haslam
Alex is a Professor of Psychology and Australian Laureate Fellow at the School of Psychology.  He is a former Commonwealth Scholar at Macquarie University, Sydney and Jones Scholar at Emory University, Atlanta, who previously held positions at the Australian National University (1991-2001) and the University of Exeter (2001-2012).  Alex was Associate Editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology from 1999 to 2001 and Chief Editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology from 2002 to 2005. He is currently on the editorial board of nine journals including: European Journal of Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Political Psychology and Scientific American Mind.

Alex is a world leader in the field of social identity, group processes, and intergroup relations.  His key research activities include psychology in organisations; the social psychology of stereotyping, prejudice and tyranny; social processes in health and wellbeing; and research methodology.

In 2005 Alex received a Kurt Lewin award from the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology for outstanding contribution to research in social psychology.  He is a fellow of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research and of the Association for Psychological Science.  In 2011 he was awarded an Australian Laureate Fellowship.  His Laureate explains the importance of group processes for leadership and health.

Everybody is welcome!