Leading Through Identity: Mobilizing a Shared Sense of “Us”
Psychology Today | 21.04.2026 19:20
In a rapidly changing work environment, questions of leadership are often framed in terms of individual trait or personal style. Yet research on identity leadership points us in a different direction. From this perspective, effective leadership is grounded less in leaders’ unique qualities than in their capability to create, embody, advance, and embed a shared sense of “us” among team members (Lê & Hoang, 2025). Leadership, then, is not simply a matter of one person influencing others. It is a group process through which leaders and followers are joined together in shared endeavor. As such, identity leadership can significantly enhance individual, team, and organizational outcomes.
