Leadership and language : rhetor-linguistics for manager-leader development

Abstract

Leadership and its development are examined in terms of their integral language features. These language features are identified as an essential key to more efficient leadership training. As an interdisciplinary undertaking, this work analyses problems in leadership and leadership development from the point of view of modern linguistics as well as classical and contemporary rhetoric. Both disciplines are rich sources of insights into those problems, yielding highly pertinent research data that have not heretofore appeared in the management and leadership training literature. Along with relevant research findings from some other disciplines, this material has been organized as support for a comprehensive theory of rhetor-linguistics for human development. As one application of that general theory, Rhetor-Linguistics (R-L) is explained as a practical language-based approach for devising the accurate training methods urgently needed for more effective leadership development for military and civilian careers and organizations. The crucial aspect of that need is the pressure on individuals and organizations to be more productive. Consequently, R-L emphasized personality development and skills acquisition, rather than personality conversion. Because of the interdisciplinary character of R-L, Part One provides two kinds of orientation. For the reader who is unfamiliar with linguistics and rhetoric, a concise background explanation of those disciplines offers a practical introduction to their respective approaches to the study of language use. ABSTRACT