New England Journal of Public Policy

Article Title

What Motivates Barrier-Crossing Leadership?

Authors

Michael D. Buhrmester, Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Michael A. Cowan, Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Harvey Whitehouse, Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Abstract

From large-scale wars, natural disasters, and pandemics to community-level religious and ethnic conflicts, many leaders wield power during crises by championing their group’s goals against those of rivals. But there is also a rarer breed of leader—barrier-crossers who pursue group interests by recognizing rivals’ interests and working with them to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Though such leaders have played vital roles in resolving conflicts, little is known about their extraordinary motivation. Here we report survey results contrasting barrier-crossing with barrier-bound leaders from seven communities. In line with new theories from group psychology and anthropology, we found that barrier-crossers uniquely reported intense, family-like bonds to both ingroups and outgroups. Further evidence suggests that these outgroup bonds result from past, personally transformative experiences shared with outgroup members.

Recommended Citation

Buhrmester, Michael D.; Cowan, Michael A.; and Whitehouse, Harvey (2022) "What Motivates Barrier-Crossing Leadership?," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 34: Iss. 2, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol34/iss2/7