Framing in Leadership Communication

1305 Words3 Pages

Introduction
Many people consider leadership to be the process of leading a group or individual. But what defines leadership for me? I believe leaders are responsible for inspiring others to work towards a shared vision, which in turn creates new leaders. The act requires honesty, competence, inspiration and forward-looking abilities. I choose the reading ‘Framing in leadership communication: Strategies, breakdowns and outcomes’ to support the ideas of Fairhurst and Caywood. The reason for this choice was because it was published by Slaheddine Mnasri from the University of South Florida, which indicates that it is more credible than a web entry or magazine article. Also, it contains a significant amount of useful information on the topic of framing which reinforces Fairhurst’s theories as well as reflects my personal views on leadership.
What is framing
Fairhurst identifies framing as a capability held by leaders because it recognises the ultimate goal in leadership development. This goal is to inspire more people to become leaders themselves. The concept of framing in leadership consists of six rules of reality construction. The first rule is to control the concept. People assume communication is automatic and requires no meaningful thought. The second rule states that the situation must be defined. Framing involves the ability to shape the meaning of a subject and judge its significance. The third rule recognises that ethics must be applied due to the fact that framing a subject is an act of persuasion by leaders. The fourth rule examines the uncertainty and confusion of the current situation and opens it up for interpretation. It provides an opportunity for people with better verbal skills to emerge as leaders. Another rule ...

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...oughout my life. Leadership to me is about creating new leaders in society, and I feel these readings emphasise this thought. Therefore, the leadership theories of framing and storytelling play a significant role in creating an effective leader.

Works Cited

Mnasri, S. (2008, June 01). Framing in leadership communication: Strategies. Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1409&context=etd

Fairhurst, G. (2014). The reality of framing. Retrieved from http://www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/myweb21/papers/default.aspx?crs_off_id=MCOM111-14A (HAM)

Caywood, E. (2014). Storytelling: All stories are true. Retrieved from http://www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/myweb21/papers/default.aspx?crs_off_id=MCOM111-14A (HAM)

Ready, D. A. (2002). How storytelling generates next-level leaders. Retrieved from http://tppserver.mit.edu/esd801/readings/storytelling.pdf

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