Nonverbal Skills for Transformational Leaders

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Type and Duration

FFF-Förderprojekt, June 2018 until November 2019 (finished)

Coordinator

Chair of Entrepreneurship and Leadership

Main Research

Growth and Complexity

Field of Research

Entrepreneurial Learning, Teamlearning

Description

A key aspect of successful entrepreneurship is effective leadership. The most effective form of leadership is transformational leadership. Although this style of leadership motivates followers and increases organizational outcomes, little is known about the concrete behavior of transformational leadership. Identifying concrete behavioral skills allows transformational leadership to be made learnable. Non-verbal communication, especially that conveyed through emotional expressions, demonstrate effects on all kinds of people. Expressing energetic emotions, for example enthusiasm, increases the charisma attributed to a person. Non-verbal signals impact on business communication effectiveness, most notably in leadership situations. Identifying nonverbal communication skills that enhance the charismatic impact of leaders would lead to the evolution of existing leader / leadership development programs. Moreover, since transformational leadership affects firm performance through the motivation of followers, it is of outstanding practical importance for entrepreneurial leaders, which are faced with limited resources.

Keywords

Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Charismatic Leadership, Non-verbal Communication, Leader / Leadership Development Programs

Principal Investigator

Sponsor

  • Forschungsförderungsfonds der Universität Liechtenstein