| The core question in leadership research has always been what makes leaders effective in mobilizing and motivating followers. Decades of leadership research suggest that an important part of the answer to this question lies in visionary leadership leaders ability to communicate inspiring visions of the future of the collective (organization, team, industry, etc.). Despite this apparent consensus on the importance and effectiveness of visionary leadership, it is far from clear what makes for an effective and inspiring vision. Indeed, it would seem that the mystery surrounding visionary leadership is as large as its accorded importance. In the present project, we aim to demystify visionary leadership, developing and testing a model of the psychology of vision communication and effectiveness. The model highlights the importance of a vision s ability to connect with and change follower identity and self-conception. Quantitative empirical tests of the model will be provided by controled laboratory experiments as well as field research in organizations. |
