Imaginative Leadership: How Leaders of Marginalized Groups Negotiate Intergroup Relations

By: Jolanda Jetten and Frank Mols

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Synopsis: What separates leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi from the leaders found in convention guidebooks on leadership is that they were able to lead despite persecution, imprisonment, and other obstacles. Their reality stands in contrast to the implicit assumption often found in leadership research: that leaders can choose from a wide range of strategies. Existing leadership models are inadequate for understanding leadership of groups that are marginalized--leaders of marginalized groups are seldom in a position to choose what course of action to take to achieve group objectives. In this chapter, the authors look at what makes leaders like Mandela and Gandhi so effective, and discuss leadership strategies that leaders of marginalized groups can pursue. They argue that the extent to which devalued groups and their leaders share identity determines the extent to which leaders can change, influence, and steer the group, and manage intergroup relations. This chapter was previously published as chapter 5 of "Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference."