Leadership Communication: Three Model Approaches

The objective of this article is to portray the close relationship between communication and leadership. Communication approaches to leadership mean the dynamics of leadership could be explained and understood by theories of communication. By using literature review, there were three model of communication in viewing leadership. Firstly, leader uses communication as a tool for influencing people (liner or transmission model). Secondly, communication is view as something discursive that emphasizes leadership as a dialogical process (relational model). Lastly, leadership is viewed communication as distortion and manipulation that aims at dominating (distortion model). The best model depends on situation, culture, and size of people in organization. Keywords—leadership communication; transmission model; relational model; manipulation model