Self-Uncertainty, Leadership Preference, and Communication of Social Identity

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Communication plays a significant role in directly or indirectly conveying information about social identity—about the groups we belong to and, thus, about ourselves. Because we need to reduce uncertainty about who we are, we seek reliable information about social identity and are influenced by trusted sources of such information. These sources are typically group leaders. I describe two social psychological theories of social influence and group processes—uncertainty-identity theory and the social identity theory of leadership—to argue that feelings of uncertainty about one’s self and social identity motivate a preference for leaders who we feel are “one of us.” Such leaders can have a communication style that is directive and “authoritarian” in targeting and demonizing outgroups and delivering an uncomplicated identity message. This type of leadership resolves identity uncertainty because it provides a distinctive, unambiguous, and consensual social identity.