Lifetime Achievement Awardee

Edwin Hollander has always been someone interested in making a difference. “I came into psychology with a desire to help improve the human condition on a larger scale than I thought was possible aiding individuals one by one…. In teaching for over fifty years and writing a textbook on social psychology… I found major fulfillment… [and] I more than attained my early hope of reaching a larger part of humanity and, perhaps, making a difference” (ILA Member Connector Newsletter, Oct. 2008).

Working on his Master’s and PhD at Columbia University in the early 1950s, Hollander was intrigued by the changing field of leadership. New thinking and research were occurring and, his interest piqued, he read extensively in the field. Broad theoretical thinking combined with a passion for measurement is the hallmark of his career. Intrigued by questions about effective leadership, his work has provided a sturdy base from which leadership development has been guided.

Hollander’s major works have focused on group and organizational leadership and innovation. His research studies follower expectations and perceptions of leaders, their performance, ethics, and consequences. His model of “idiosyncrasy credit” deals with how followers accord or withdraw support for a leader’s initiatives for change. He has always been interested in the Leader-Follower relationship as demonstrated by an early both for him and the field, publication titled, “Leadership, Followership, and Friendship: An Analysis of Peer Nominations,” which he co-authored with Wilse B. Webb in 1955. His latest book, which encompasses all he’s learned throughout his career, puts forward an overarching concept, and a scale to measure it, of Inclusive Leadership.

Hollander is currently Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Baruch College, City University of New York where he plays an active role in student research and continues his journey of making a difference.