Chapter 2: The Case for an Indigenous Collectivist Mindset

A new understanding of collectivism is forwarded that expands the one proposed by Hofstede and Triandis. The intent of this work is to introduce the new version of collectivism, termed “Indigenous Collectivism Mindset” (ICM) and describe its implications. Using indigenous research methodologies, findings from interviews with Native Americans provides evidence towards an indigenous understanding of collectivism that cannot be explained through a mainstream, dominant cultural paradigm. Implications of how this collectivist worldview impacts leadership and leadership development are also given. Identifying nondominant societal paradigms presents the opportunity for deeper understanding of the complexities that leadership and leadership development encompass. Historically researchers have approached leadership from a Western paradigm operating from the belief that leadership conveys a central authority that controls not only the use of rewards and sanctions, but also the power over others. This proposed different worldview, ICM, challenges this dominant perspective and presents the possibility that there are not unequivocally successful leadership behaviors, but rather different ways of being and understanding relationships.