preview

The Importance Of Communication In Leadership

Decent Essays

Communication plays a vital role in leadership, due to the fact that, without communication, any leadership efforts would be futile. Vision is the roadmap of leadership, for, without vision, leaders have no clue where they’re going, and followers fail to get on board. People respond to vision. The key to vision is communicating. Communication theories such as Goffman’s Presentation of Self, The Fundamental Attribution Error, the Actor-Observer Effect, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and Benevolent prejudice all play essential roles in the leadership atmosphere. Containing critical information about the underlying habits of human behavior, these various theories influence leadership - and leaders - in a variety of ways. Erving Goffman, a Canadian born sociologist and writer, is considered to be "the most influential American sociologist of the twentieth century.” Best known for his work in dramaturgical analysis, Goffman not only had vital influences upon the research in social theories but also published his most widely known book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Originally published in 1956, this book portrays the importance of human interaction by using the imagery of the theatre. The influence sociologist developed the concept of dramaturgy, the idea that life is like a never-ending play in which people are actors. Goffman finds that, when attempting to give others a particular perception of their self, humans tend to change his or her appearance or manner.

Get Access