Leadership Talk

Dr. Robyn Walker is a professor of management communication at the Department of BusinessCommunication at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, where sheteaches business writing and business communication to undergraduate and graduate students.She earned a master's and a doctoral degree in Communication from the University of Utah, anda master's degree in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and holds anMBA. Dr. Walker has held faculty appointments at the University of Arizona and California StateUniversity, Fullerton. Before entering academia, Dr. Walker worked as a professional writer andeditor with such organizations as United Press International, McGraw-Hill, and Novell. She alsohas worked as a writing consultant for companies such as Hoffman LaRoche Pharmaceuticals andFranklin-Covey, Inc.

Traditionally, management theories have takena psychological approach to leadership, often
assuming that it is a personality trait located within
an individual. In contrast, the discursive approach to
leadership, which is the focus of this book, assumes
that leadership is created through communication
practices.
As a leader, this book will provide you with an in-depth
look at an emerging approach to the study of
business leadership that focuses on language as a
vehicle for communicating leadership. The authors
explore a new definition of leadership as the expression
of ideas in talk or in action that are recognized
by others as capable of progressing tasks or solving
problems. The practical implication of this view of
leadership suggests that leaders must constantly enact
and communicate their relationship to their followers
in such a way as to be recognized by them as
a leader. Inside, you and future leaders will learn how
to approach leadership more effectively as a communication
practice that involves and depends upon the
response of potential followers.