What do we mean by “Representational Leadership,” and why is it important?

Representational leadership is when the people in leadership in a community or organisation reflect the identities, communities, and lived experiences of the communities they serve. Trust and belonging can more easily develop when your team has the opportunity to see people who look like them, have similar life experiences, or come from their communities succeeding in the organisation, particularly among leadership.

Recommended citation: “Representational Leadership.” Movement Glossary. Collective Threads Initiative, 2026. https://www.collectivethreads.org (date accessed).