Some Leaders Come from Nowhere: Their Success Is Uneven. (25th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eagly, Alice H.
• Editors: Rast, David E.; Hogg, Michael; Randsley de Moura, Georgina
• Is Part Of: Journal of social issues. Volume 74:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 184
• Page End: 196
• Publication Date: 2018-03-25
• Subjects: Social problems -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Sociology; Psychology, Social; Problèmes sociaux -- Périodiques; Psychologie sociale -- Périodiques; États-Unis -- Conditions sociales -- 1945- -- Périodiques; Sociale psychologie; Electronic journals; 305
• DOI: 10.1111/josi.12263
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4537

Abstract

Abstract: Sometimes leaders seem to come from nowhere—that is, from a social group or situation has seldom produced leaders. Their emergence generally requires special conditions and unusual competence. Once occupying such a role, unexpected leaders have to meet challenges that are more difficult than those faced by expected leaders. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, provides an example of a political leader who, against all odds, has achieved high office and extraordinary success. Both role congruity theory and social identity theory explicate the processes that enable such leaders to emerge and sometimes be successful despite their origins in a marginal status or unusual social location. When unexpected leaders are successful, they serve as symbolic vanguards of social change and sometimes produce wider social change in groups, organizations, or nations.