Jihadi Leadership and its Relationship to Group Longevity

• In Event: Terrorism, Patterns and Trends

Abstract

Studies that have focused on leadership aspects of terrorist and extremist groups have generally focused on charismatic leaders. However, other types of leadership such as pragmatic and ideological leaders are identified in the larger leadership literature. In spite of this, little attention has been paid to these other leadership types, and their role in the larger domestic Jihadi extremist movement is unknown. This study examines the different leadership styles present in Jihadi extremist groups and how those leadership types influence the longevity of the group.

Authors

• Michael Suttmoeller, Missouri State University

• Karen J. Gunderman, Missouri State University