5R Leadership Development
Practical, evidence-based leadership development that builds stronger, more connected teams.
The New Psychology of Leadership
5R is Synact’s flagship leadership development programme. Developed by world-leading researchers at the University of Queensland’s Social Identity and Groups Network (SIGN), it puts the science of social identity into practice, as laid out in the acclaimed book The New Psychology of Leadership (Haslam et al., 2025).
Informed by two decades of world-leading research, it is designed to help leaders create, advance, represent, and embed a shared sense of ‘us’ within their teams, leading to enhanced cohesion, wellbeing, and alignment.
Why social identity matters for leadership
In every organisation, social identity dynamics are always at play, whether we choose to engage with them or not. At work, people are constantly making sense of the world around them:
Who are we in this team?
Who belongs here, and who doesn’t?
Who do we trust to lead us?
What really matters in this place?
These are not abstract questions. They are powerful, everyday forces that shape how people behave, relate, and perform. They influence whether teams pull together or drift apart. Whether inclusion thrives or falters. Whether change is embraced or resisted.
Leadership is not about ignoring these dynamics. It’s about noticing them, understanding them, and working with them.
At Synact, we believe the opportunity isn’t to start social identity processes. It’s to harness what’s already there. To do that with intention. With care. And with a commitment to building shared identity. Not as a buzzword, but as a foundation for performance, wellbeing, and real leadership.
