Care without leaders: The collective powers of affective leadership

Abstract

In this chapter we articulate a concept of affective leadership based on the capacity to increase our collective powers of action. We show how leaderless movements and organizations can foster their participants’ powers of action by cultivating active affects which are independent of individual leaders. Although the effectiveness of leaderless organizations and movements has already been subject to some discussion, the present chapter explains their power in terms of their ethical and affective constitution, revealing the possible intertwining of care and justice without leaders.