The Dynamics of Leadership and Resistance in Repressive Regimes

Abstract

Leadership—particularly identity leadership—remains a relatively under-researched area in the social psychological literature on resistance in violent or repressive contexts. This chapter examines how leaders mobilized overt resistance in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Polish People’s Republic. Both regimes were led by a single-party monopoly, characterized by severe repression of political and non-political activities that were perceived as threatening to the status quo, or as promoting identities inconsistent with the dominant ideology. We present an analysis of interviews and archival data, focusing on how resistance leaders overcame obstacles placed by those in power and organized resistance in the form of collective action. Leaders engaged in adaptive changes in their strategies, built a shared social identity to mobilize resistance, and gave agency to followers—allowing them to unite and sustain the movement. This chapter enhances our understanding of the psychology of leadership in mobilizing collective action under repression.