2 Resistance as distance, persistence and difference
Leadership scholar David Collinson conducted seminal research into resistance in the 1990s. Collinson (1992 and 1994) identified two forms of resistance that are distinctive responses to different kinds of power – resistance through persistence and distance. Working with Suzanne Gagnon, Collinson identified a third practice of resistance – resistance through difference (Gagnon and Collinson, 2017). All three forms spill over the boundaries of the Four Is (Mumby et al., 2017). They are worth learning about because they draw attention to the fact that resistance can be more or less troubling to status quo power. They also show that resistance can serve purposes other than challenging power – it can be practised as a way of helping resisters cope and feel better about themselves under difficult circumstances.
