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Runninghead:DEVELOPMENTOFLEADERSHIPCOMMUNICATION

DevelopmentofLeadershipCommunicationandFemaleLeadership:AQualitativeInterview

RachelHahn,SteveJunandStephanieSimon

TrinityUniversity

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Runninghead:DEVELOPMENTOFLEADERSHIPCOMMUNICATION
Abstract
PurposeThepurposeofthisstudywastoinvestigatehowBetsyscommunicationstyleasabusiness
womanandleaderchangedoverthecourseofhercareer.
MethodologyAqualitativeinterviewwithBetsywasconductedintheupstairsofCoatesUniversity
Center.Theinterviewwasconductedfrom11:10a.m.to12:30p.m.onMarch24,2014.Also,a
researchonanscholarlyarticle,Leadership=Communication?TheRelationsofLeaders
CommunicationStyleswithLeadershipStyles,KnowledgeSharingandLeadershipOutcomes,
wasconductedinordertofurtherunderstandthedevelopmentofleadershipcommunication.
FindingsAlthoughtherewerenospecificchangesinBetsysleadershipandcommunicationstyleover
time,welearnedvariouscharacteristicsofagoodleaderthatBetsyemphasizedwhichcanbesummed
upintotwomainpoints:1)Goodleadersuseeachfollowersstrengthstoinspirethefollower2)Good
leadersfocusonbuildingrelationshipwithfollowers.Bothmainpointsarecloselyrelatedtoleadership
theoriesandconceptsthatwelearnedinclass.Thefirstmainpointisrelatedtotransformational
leadershipfromChapter4.Transformationalleadersinspiringfollowersbyfulfillingthehigherlevelsof
needsbasedonMaslowsHierarchyofNeeds.ThesecondmainpointiscloselyrelatedtoChapter5:
LeadershipandPower.WelearnedhowBetsysfocusonbuildingrelationshipwithherfollowers
ultimatelygaveherreferentpowerandshewasabletousethepowertobemoresuccessfulasaleader.

DevelopmentofLeadershipCommunicationandFemaleLeadership:AQualitativeInterview

LiteratureReview
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Runninghead:DEVELOPMENTOFLEADERSHIPCOMMUNICATION
Communicationstyleconstantlychangesastheenvironmentsurroundingindividualschanges.
Thiscanbeappliedtothebusinessworldaswell.BetsyPasleywhoworkedinthetechnology
marketingandcorporatecommunicationsfieldformorethanthirtyyearsworkedwithvarious
organizationsindifferentpositions.OurgroupfocusedonBetsysroleasabusinesswomanandleader
andresearchedtofigureouthowBetsyscommunicationstyleasabusinesswoman&leaderchanged
overthecourseofhercareer.
Inordertofindoutconnectionsbetweencommunicationstylesandleadershipstyles,ourgroup
researchedanarticlewrittenbyReinoutE.deVries,Leadership=Communications?TheRelations
ofLeadersCommunicationStyleswithLeadershipStyles,KnowledgeSharingandLeadership
Outcomes,hopingtoapplytheconnectionstoBetsysjourneyasabusinesswomanandleader.
Thearticleinvestigatestherelationsbetweenleaderscommunicationstyles,leadershipstyles,
andleadershipoutcomesusingadatasetthatwascollectedfromasurveythatwasconductedamong
279employeesoftheDutchMinistryofEducation,CultureandScience.Then,theauthorsetuphis
threemainhypothesesandtestedthembyanalyzingthequantitativedatathathecollectedfromthe
survey.deVriescomesupwithaconclusionthatthereisadefiniteconnectionbetweencommunication
styles,leadershipstyles,andleadershipoutcomes.Hestates,Inlinewithexpectations,thestudy
showedthatcharismaticandhumanorientedleadershiparemainlycommunicative,whiletaskoriented
leadershipissignificantlylesscommunicativeMultipleregressionanalysesshowedthattheleadership
stylesmediatedtherelationsbetweenthecommunicationstylesandleadershipoutcomes(DeVrieset
al.,2010).Table1showsthatmainlycommunicativeleadershipstyleswhicharehumanorientedand
charismaticleadershiptendtoshowsignificantlyhigherperceivedleaderperformance,satisfactionwith
theleader,andsubordinatesteamcommitmentthantaskorientedleadership.

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Table1Multipleregressionofleadershipoutcomesonleaderscommunicationstyles(LCS)andleadershipstyles(LS)(N=269)

*p.05**p.01

Methods
Throughtheprocessofconductingastructured,qualitativeinterview,ourresearchgrouphoped
toachievefourmaingoals.Ourgroupfirstwantedtodiscoverhowcommunicationstylesmaychange
overthecourseofapersonscareer,anddetermineiftherewerespecificchallengesfacedforwomen
leaders.Withtheformatofaqualitativeinterview,ourgrouphopedtolearnandgatherinformation
aboutleadershipandcommunicationfromfirsthandexperiences.Byconductinganinterviewasa
researchteam,wehopedtobetterourcommunicationskillswithinagroupandimproveouroverall
research/interviewskills.
Inordertomakesureweachievedoursetgoals,ourresearchgrouppreparedfortheinterview
inadvanced.Weformulatedaspecific,relevantresearchquestion(basedontheresumeofour
interviewee)toguideourinterview.Becauseofourparticipantsuniqueperspectiveasafemaleleader
intheworkplaceandthelongevityofhercareer,wedecidedtofocusonthedevelopmentofleadership
communicationandthedifficultiesofbeingafemaleleader.Guidedbyourmainresearchquestion,we
developedalistofinterviewquestionsthatwouldhelpusbetterunderstandoursubject.Wemadesure
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toincludemanydifferenttypesofquestionsincludingonesthataddressedbehaviors,feelings/emotions,
opinions,andgeneralknowledge.Afterfinalizingoursetlistofquestion,wereachedouttoour
participantandscheduledatimeandlocationtomeetwithheratherconvenience.
Ourstructuredqualitativeinterviewtookplaceoveraperiodofanhourinasemisecludedarea
inordertoassureconfidentiality.Theentireinterviewwasrecordedonalaptopwiththepermissionof
theparticipant,andnotesweretakenbytheresearchers.Weprefacedourinterviewbyexplainingthe
purposeofourresearch,andthemainquestionthatwewereattemptingtoanswer.Duringtheinterview
eachgroupmembertookturnsaskingquestionsfromapredeterminedlistandwouldaskafollowup
questioniftheresearcherdeemeditnecessary.
Afterconductingourownqualitativeinterviewinordertoansweraspecificresearchquestion,
wefoundthattherewerebothadvantagesanddisadvantagesofusingthisspecificresearchmethod.In
termsofadvantages,wefoundthattheopenendedaspectofqualitativeinterviewquestionsallowedour
participantsanswerstoreflecttheirownmeaningofthequestionandinterpretitinthewaytheyfelt
mostappropriate.Inaddition,becausethequalitativeinterviewfocusesonqualityoverquantityofdata,
thistypeofinterviewallowedforanindepthperspectiveaboutourresearchquestion.Thequalitative
interviewalsoallowedthedatatobecollectedinamorenaturalenvironmentasopposedtoalab,
whichhelpstheparticipantfeelmorecomfortableandthereforegivemorenaturalresponses.Because
theinterviewtookplacefacetoface,asopposedtoasurveyformat,ourresearchteamwasableto
makenoteofobservationsandcommunicationpatternsofourparticipant.Wefoundthatqualitative
interviewsalsohadlimitationsasaresearchtool.Becausethistypeofinterviewprocessdemands
indepthresultsfromeachparticipant,itrequiresasignificantamountoftimeandefforttocollectthe
data.Sinceourqualitativeinterviewonlyincludedtheresultsfromasingleparticipant,theresultsareless
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likelytoaccountforvariousperspectives.Finally,becausethequalitativeinterviewincludedopenended
questions,theresultstoeachquestionarelessprecise,andthereforemoredifficulttoanalyze/quantify.
Results
Aftertranscribingourqualitativeinterview,wefoundfourmainthemesthatappeared
throughout.Betsyemphasizedthatshefeltthemostsuccessfulleadersinspiretheirleaders,insteadof
dictatingtasks.Betsyalsosuggestedthatherownpersonalleadershipstylewasbasedonrelationship
buildingwithherfollowers.Shefeltthatrelationshipsstrengtheningisanimportantpartofleadership
becauseinorderforateamtobesuccessful,thefollowersmusttrustandrespecttheirleader.Betsy
repeatedtheideathatonesleadershipstyleshouldbebasedonthesituation,andthatdifferentstyles
arenecessaryfordifferentsituations.Finally,Betsypromotedthataleadershoulddeterminethe
strengthsofeachindividualfollower,andtailortheirroletoplayuptheirstrength.
Discussion
ThroughourinterviewwithBetsy,welearnedmanyinsightsintoherleadershipstyleoverthe
courseofhercareer.Betsysleadershipstyleappearstobemostsimilartothetransformational
leadershipstyle.Transformationalleadersoftenhavethefollowingtraitsincommontheyarecreative,
interactive,visionary,empowering,andpassionate.Fromherinterview,itseemsthatBetsyfitsinvery
wellwiththistypeofleadership.Shedescribedtousinherinterviewbossesthatweretransactional
leaderswhowouldonlytelltheirsubordinatesinformationonaneedtoknowbasis.Shequickly
realizedthiswasnotthestyleofleadershipsheenjoyedsoshedidnotwanttopracticethesametype.
Betsyalwayscamebacktotheimportanceofrelationshipswitheveryonesheworkedwith.Whileshe
didnotspecificallydescribeatimeofbeingcreative,itwasevidentthatinorderforhertobesuccessful
inhercareerpath,shehadtoconstantlycomeupwithcreativesolutionstoproblems.Herleadershipis
veryinteractiveandempoweringtothosearoundher.Shetoldusaspecifictimewhenshewasin
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chargeofdirectingachangemanagementprojectshecreatedalargegridforeveryonetofillinsoher
employeeswouldhaveaclearerunderstandingofthetaskandvisiontheyweretryingtoachievein
ordertomakethecompanybetter.
Betsysfocusonrelationshipsreflectsmostthereferentpowerbase.Thisisagreatmethodof
leadershipbecausewithreferentpower,thepoweriscomingfromfollowersadmirationandrespectfor
theleader,notbasedontheirabilitytorewardorpunishorbecausethetitleofthejobgivesthe
authority.Betsyemphasizedtheimportanceoftreatingeveryoneyoumanageasequals.Everyonehas
anspecialroletoplayandeachjobisofequalimportance.
Betsysharedastorywithusaboutherbestboss.Afteralonghardworkweek,Betsytoldher
bossshewasgoingouttoeatwithherfamily.Whenthetimecametopaythebill,thewaiterinformed
Betsyandherfamilythatherbosshadalreadycoveredthedinner.ThisrewardforBetsyhadmoreof
animpactthanabonuscheckforherwork.Thebossshowedshewasawareofwhatwasimportantto
Betsyandthatshewasconcernedaboutherhappiness.ThisstorystuckwithBetsyandtheconcern
herbosshadforherissomethingBetsytriedtostriveforasaleader.Withherreferentpower,itseems
likeBetsywasabletobeverysuccessfuloverhercareer,whilealsobeingabletosolveproblems
quicklyandwithpositiveoutcomes.
Betsydiscussedhercommunicationstylewithusasbeingverytailoredtoeachindividualshe
workedwith.Shesaidshewouldalwaystrytolearnthejargonofthepeopleshewouldspeaktoin
ordertospeakintermsthattheywouldunderstand.Specifically,shesaidwhenshebeganworkingat
USAAshehadtolearnthemilitaryjargonandadjusthowshespoketootheremployeessothatthey
wouldbothrespectherandunderstandher.Betsysabilityandwillingnesstoadjusthercommunication
styletoeachindividualreflectsherintentionsofhavingstrongrelationshipswithpeople.Herleadership
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styledependsonherabilitytoconnectwithotheremployeesandempowerthemtodothebestoftheir
abilitiesseenthroughherflexiblecommunicationandconstantdesiretolearn.
Conclusion
Overallourinterviewwasaverysuccessfullearningexperience.Wefeltliketheinterview
providedusagoodunderstandingofBetsyscommunicationandleadershipstyle,althoughwecould
notpointoutspecificchangesoverthecourseofhercareer.Shefacedafewchallengestoherauthority
beingawomanintheworkplace.However,shedidnotletthemaffectherleadershipstyle,and
continuedonwithherrelationshipstyleapproach.Wefoundthatherconcernforherrelationships
makesherbothatransformationalleaderandhavereferentpower.Thisdriveforrelationshipswas
reflectedinherendingadvicetoustobegreatnetworkersandconstantlearnersbecauseeveryone
couldusealittlehelpandthereisalwaysroomtogrow.




WorkCited
DeVries,R.E.,BakkerPieper,A.,Oostenveld,W.(2010).Leadership=communication?The
relationsofleaderscommunicationstyleswithleadershipstyles,knowledgesharingand
leadershipoutcomes.JournalofBusiness&Psychology,25(3),367280.