Leadership takes on many roles. Whether a leader is acting in response to a specific cause or being given a task to achieve in a business atmosphere, leadership is developing strategy taking action, and motivating others to see the importance of the goal or goals. In social movements, people come together often for emotional reasons seeking to change the way society responds to certain actions. They are often a direct response to the need for reform and are brought about to make change to current established norms bringing awareness to how society morally and ethically responds to social issues. Social movements seek to implement, redefine and change the rules for the betterment of society and people. Because social movements are mainly interested in change, they are generally not for profit and require leadership that rallies the collective and influences participants to forge the path of change voluntarily with commitment to the cause rather than the outcome of getting some form of compensation. Differences between social movements and profit making businesses are that social movements “celebrate collective identity, and assert public voice” rather than focusing on the production of “goods or services. Social movements “interact with their constituents, not customers or clients” (Ganz, 2010, p. 2). True leadership on all levels whether in social movements, non- profits or other profitable business ventures, takes a person who possesses drive, focus and sees the overall picture. Leadership is a person who has vision, and the ability to bring people together influencing, motivating and striving for a common goal.
In the excerpt written by author Marshall Ganz, titled Leading Change, he states that forming alliances with members of Social Movements and other leaders for a common goal is tricky and takes a level of competency that he describes as “relational work”