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ABSTRACT
In times of crisis uncertainty and insecurity rise and lead to heightened anxiety and fear. To overcome these emotions, hope and identity are needed. In this article I would like to explore the psychodynamics of hope and identity, the role they play in overcoming crisis, how they are connected in good and in bad times, and how leaders can create real hope and real identity. My major point will be that hope and identity are linked via fear and containment-in defensive and destructive ways, forming both fake hope and fake identity and in constructive healthy and healing ways, improving the well-being and functioning as well as performing of individuals, organisations, and societies. I will show that the crisis also induces a new basic assumption (BA) mentality which I have already called in earlier papers "victimism", and which I will develop further here with the addition of supremacism. Victimism/ supremacism as basic assumption mentality in the sense of Bion are critical in understanding the development of prevailing larger phenomenon such as populism, the rise of authoritarian leaders, identitarian movements, identity politics, and similar developments. Leaders need this knowledge to move beyond the BA V/S mentality and the crisis into hope and the future.
Keywords: victimism/supremacism, organisational hope, organisational identity, authentic leadership, basic assumption mentality.
Introduction
In times of crisis, people suffer not only from the crisis itself, that is, experiencing illness, death, losing jobs, social contacts, status etc., but also from the inherent uncertainty and insecurity. Both stem from the extreme changes we expect and not knowing what the future holds. Not knowing how society, politics, economics, and organisations will develop or whether we will manage the climate crisis creates widespread fear and anxiety-on the individual as well as the organisational level. On both levels people need hope and identity to overcome the fear. Once (re)discovered, they will stabilise and reinforce themselves and each other.
In this article I would like to explore why that is, their psychodynamics, the role they play in overcoming crisis, and how they are connected in good and in bad times. My major point will be that hope and identity are linked via fear and containment-in defensive and destructive ways, forming both fake hope and fake identity and its...