Social transformation is an ever-present, often disruptive and sometimes violent and destructive feature of the modern world. Leaders play a key role, for good and for evil, in initiating and steering this process that lies at the intersection of social psychological research on leadership, influence and social change. However, for historical reasons leadership research is concentrated in the organizational sciences and research on influence and social change is concentrate in social psychology; and the two traditions do not communicate well – leaving a void. This EASP small conference on Unexpected Leadership: How Marginal Individuals and Groups Lead Social Transformation addressed this lacuna - integrating research on leadership, social influence, deviance, and social change and transformation.

The meeting took place July 15-17 at the University of Sheffield, which is centrally located in the UK. Approximately 15 presenters took part in the meeting, with another half dozen non-presenters in attendance. Presenters were from psychology departments and business schools across Europe and the US, and ranged from very junior to very senior delegates. The conference received generous funding from EASP, the University of Sheffield, Claremont Graduate University, and Kent University. Due to these contributions we were able to offer a considerable subsidy to help cover delegate costs. Junior and senior delegates responded overwhelming positive to the small group group with group discussions around the conference theme carrying on well into the night. Delegates included:

Abrams, Dominic (University of Kent)
Bligh, Michelle (Neoma Business School)
Gaffney, Amber (Humboldt State University)
Goclowska, Malgorzata (University of Amsterdam)
Hales, Andrew (Purdue University)
Hogg, Michael (Claremont Graduate University)
Hoyt, Crystal (University of Richmond)
Leicht, Carola (University of Kent)
Martin, Robin (University of Manchester)
Packer, Dominic (Lehigh University)
Prislin, Radmilla (San Diego State University)
Randsley de Moura, Georgina (University of Kent)
Rast, David (University of Sheffield)
Ryan, Michelle (University of Exeter)