Abstracts Communications and the Arts

‘The leadership interface’: effective leadership communication for contemporary global leaders

by Ian C. Woodward

Academic literature is replete with studies highlighting the vitality and importance of communication interactions for effective leadership. However, research devoted to providing a deeply integrated picture of effective leadership communication and its attributes, encompassing elements such as context, content, structure, delivery,collaboration and communication styles, combined with leadership behaviors (which are frequently reflected through communication behaviors), is extremely rare. Studies are even more infrequent that examine leadership communication through the prism of the dynamic contemporary global business and organizational environment – the volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and diverse (VUCAD) world. Consequently, the central question addressed in this thesis is: “What are the key attributes of effective leadership communication required for contemporary global organizational leaders in a VUCAD world?” By a deductive and thematic analysis of the plethora of classic and contemporary studies on leadership and communication (and contributions from original thesis publications), this dissertation seeks to address such a gap in the literature. The primary focus is the identification of a useful and fully integrative definition of ‘effective leadership communication’, together with its attributes, for contemporary global leaders in the VUCAD context. This connects the leadership environment of interactions with public, group, interpersonal, intrapersonal and behavioral leadership communication. To address the above foci and the thesis question, a framework, titled the ‘Leadership Interface’, is developed. This framework is built upon a rich definition (derived from the research) of ‘effective leadership communication’, as : achieving successful interaction, engagement and exchanges between leaders and stakeholders, within the dynamic leadership environment, inside and outside an organization or setting, to create shared meaning, understanding and satisfaction for the stakeholders, in specific situations as well as over time, and across a diverse range of communication situations and formats. Effective leadership communication in the leadership environment is built on self-awareness and awareness of others, and where the communication interactions take account of the leadership context and objectives, aiming to create relevant meaning, connection and engagement for all involved. Effective leadership communication interactions succeed because: the communication is meaning centered, relational and transmissional; the interactions employ communicative leadership practices, language and behaviors; leaders competently adjust, enhance and focus their communication approach and style to the needs of context, others and purpose; and the interactions are communication intelligent. The ‘Leadership Interface’ framework sets out a ‘Leadership Environment’ for leadership communication interactions with four interconnecting dimensions: Leadership Context (the leadership situation and circumstances for…