2020

Mikkola, Leena

Leadership is an influence- and meaning-management process that takes place among leaders and followers. In leadership, all the actors participate in the creation of meanings to promote important and meaningful tasks. Leadership is relational in nature, and leader–follower relationships emerge in social interaction. Thus, leadership could and should be defined as communication. This chapter describes leadership in knowledge-based work from the communication perspective. It first presents the foundations of leadership, that is, sensemaking, sensegiving, and influence. Then, it examines leader–follower relationships from the perspectives of the relational dialectics and the presence of power. Finally, the chapter explores the most important functions of leadership communication, such as constructing a good work environment, agenda-setting, framing tasks and processes, creating a feedback culture, and supporting change and development.