New Series: Social Movement Leadership

Business and professional publications talk a lot about leadership styles but generally neglect how to choose a leadership style for a social movement, where “leaders” typically arise as a movement develops and may change as circumstances require. Today, we are launching a new LinkedIn series on social movement leadership with a look at traditional leadership styles through a social  lens, which leads up to and will be part of the discussion at the Marmalade Festival at Oxford presented by the Skoll World Forum. 

Future articles will dive into how these styles can be used throughout a movement’s stages of growth, the most effective styles during times of crisis, risk or heavy opposition, and how to leverage a leadership style for maximum output to achieve the highest outcomes.

Today’s social movement leadership use at least one of the following styles to acquire, engage and build a movement’s base of  supporters:

🧩Charismatic leadership motivates supporters with passionate and persuasive communication. They lead with a strong vision. 

🧩Transformational leadership focuses on empowering and uplifting supporters, fostering creativity with a sense of collective identity and commitment to a shared vision. 

🧩Servant leadership addresses the needs of supporters before their own. They facilitate supporters’ growth and development while emphasizing empathy, active listening and collaboration. 

🧩Democratic leadership encourages participation and input from all supporters by valuing inclusivity, consensus-building and decision-making via democratic processes. The leader empowers supporters and unselfishly distributes leadership responsibilities among them.

🧩Transactional leadership focuses on achieving specified goals through strategic meetings and communication with supporters. Leaders use rewards and punishments to motivate supporters to accomplish tasks and meet objectives.

🧩Laissez-faire leadership adopts a hands-off approach, trusting supporters to take initiative and make decisions independently. While empowering individuals and fostering creativity, this leadership style risks disorganization or lack of direction if it does not provide proper structure or oversight.

🧩Authoritarian leadership exercises control and authority over the movement, making unilateral decisions and expecting strict obedience. While it can rapidly mobilize supporters and implement directives, leaders may stifle creativity and alienate members who seek more opportunities to be part of decisions.

Social movements achieve success through a series of milestones—cultural shifts, policy wins and/or collective moments that inspire and sustain action. Leaders contend with opposition and roadblocks as a matter of course as a movement grows, of course, but during times of crisis or heavy opposition, the focus on leadership—from within the movement as well as from outside—will intensify and bring censorship, surveillance, harassment and sometimes even violence. As movements develop and grow, leaders must know how to adapt and apply their styles and strategies to the specific challenges that arise. 

This knowledge is crucial today, as we are seeing policies change without time for those affected to prepare. This series will help leaders hone their leadership styles so they can react quickly and appropriately when necessary.

#Leadership #SocialChange #Adaptability #SocialMovements