Leadership & Communication

BUSI-1323 OB3: Leadership

 Today’s Agenda
– What is Effective Communication?
– Framing by Leaders
– Rhetoric & Delivery
– Charismatic Leadership Language
– Too much Charisma?
• Follower Impact
• Authenticity
 A Note on Power

https://
www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_how_to_understand_po
wer?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referr
al&utm_source=tedcomshare
Communication is a way to harness
power in a democratic
environment
Role of Communication in Leadership
“The leadership relationship is fundamentally grounded in
language and rooted in communication processes”
(Conger & Kanungo, 1998; Gardner & Avolio, 1998)

“Leader’s don’t just need a mission –

equally important is how they communicate it”
(Conger, 1991)
 Framing by Leaders
If “leadership is the management of meaning”
(Smircich & Morgan, 1982)

“…then leadership can be defined as socially constructed,

interactionist phenomenon where some (leaders) attempt to
frame and define the reality of others
(followers)”
(Bligh & Hess, 2007)
 Framing by Leaders
Def: Framing refers to the social
construction of a social phenomenon

Framing by Leaders. Framing is the leader’s

interpretation of purpose, accompanying
values, and beliefs (Conger, 1991)
 Framing by Leaders
Why is framing so important?
• Influences followers’ perceptions of an
opportunity and its outcomes
• Provides a map for action
• Determines whether or not followers notice
problems, how much they understand them, how they
evaluate, and act upon them

(Bligh & Hess, 2007; Conger, 1991)

 Framing by Leaders
Values Amplification

Values: States of being / Modes of conduct

Value Amplification: Process of identifying and
elevating certain values as basic to the overall mission
(Conger, 1991). People are inspired by values
 Framing by Leaders
Beliefs Amplification

Beliefs: Ideas about which factors support or impede

actions taken to achieve desired values
Belief Categories:
 Why
- Mission’s important?
Importance
- Need for the
 Why arisen?
Mission
- Antagonists of the Mission  Who is against us?
- Efficacy of the  Why will we
Mission succeed?
McClay, 2017. Trump’s Speech
Analysis
 Example
We Are Weak; They Are Strong Frame

1. For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has

reaped the rewards of government while the people
have borne the cost.

2. Washington flourished – but the people did not share

in its wealth.

3. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the

factories closed.
 Rhetoric &
The processDelivery
by which message is communicated is just
as important as the framing of it
Words
7%

Body
Voic Language
e 55%
38%
 Rhetoric &
The processDelivery
by which message is communicated is just
as important as the framing of it

Rhetorical Crafting includes:

- Repetition & Rhythm
- Analogies, Symbols, & Metaphors
- Stories
- Paralanguage : Body Language & Tone of
Voice
 Rhetoric &
Voice (Tone, Delivery
Speed, & Rhythm)
Margaret Thatcher learned to
reduce the higher tone of
her voice over the years

Barack Obama uses rhythm to

engage his audience (builds the
voice up + pauses)
https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=OFPwDe22CoY
 Rhetoric &
Delivery
Why are body language and voice so important?
Together, they contribute to 93% of communication
and particularly important for communicating feelings
and attitude

They contribute to the liking of the person delivering

the message (Mehrabian, 1971) and liking is a principle of
persuasion (Cialdini, 2001) and building followership
 Rhetoric &
Delivery
What happens when verbal & non-verbal are
incongruent?
When nonverbal and verbal messages are in conflict,
perceivers rely on the nonverbal
Issues of “Faking”
 Charismatic Leaders
Charismatic leaders – who are visionary, sensitive to
their environment and followers, admired, and
trustworthy – are communication experts
– Emotional Expressiveness
– Use of Metaphor
• charismatic U.S. Presidents used twice as many as non-charismatic Presidents (Mio et
al., 2005)
– Verbal Imagery
– Ability to tailor language to the audience
(Bligh & Hess, 2007)
 Too Much Charisma?
Impact on Follower ‘Voice’
By examining the leader’s powerful demeanor as an
antecedent to follower voice, research revealed a
leadership dilemma: the demeanor which leaders are encouraged
to use because ofits benefits to their image has the unintended
negative consequence ofstifling follower voice

A leader’s powerful demeanour can diminish

employee voice
Too much power in the leader– leads to
dependent followers
 Confident reduces Employee which harms Decision
Demeanour Voice Quality

Because the leader is perceived as more competent and

knowledgeable
And followers see themselves as less competent and dependent on
the leaders (Lock & Anderson,
How to encourage follower voice?
2015)
Demeanour
• Adopt a listening pose
Speech
• Ask specific and probing questions
• Explain why input is important
Action
• Wait in silence
• Carefully consider opposing opinions
 Adaptability & Consistency
Changing communication style for different
audiences is a characteristic of effective leaders
but, how can you change your style and still be the
same person?
 Authenticity is Essential
Authentic leaders are (George et al. (2007). Discovering your authentic
leadership)
– True to themselves
– Motivated by personal convictions, rather than to attain personal
benefits
– Base their actions on values
Practical View on Authenticity (Goffee & Jones, 2006)
– Conscientiousness
– Coherence
– Consistency
– Clever conformity
The Essence of
Adaptability

Adapt to But
retain
situation your
value
s
Communication between Us

Feedback for me:

https://b.socrative.com/teacher/#edit-quiz/33500705

Feedback for the Faculty

Evasys survey –Faculty