Pivotal leadership and the art of conversation Academic Article

abstract

• Inspired by auto-ethnographic and self-study action research methods, I explore my experience becoming an interim head in an academic department following the death of my department head. I reflect on my experiences using the literature on department head leadership as well as theory and research I have developed regarding a systemic constructionist approach to leadership. My analysis suggests that our current thinking regarding department head and systemic constructionist leadership could be extended in various ways, including by giving additional attention to reflexive practices that enable leaders to attune to the emerging conversational ecology, focusing on the conversational flows that constitute organizational activity, and investigating how material realities and bodies weave themselves into conversational practices.

authors

• Barge, James

published proceedings

• LEADERSHIP

altmetric score

• 0.5

author list (cited authors)

• Barge, J. K.

citation count

• 24

complete list of authors

• Barge, J Kevin

publication date

• February 2014

publisher

• SAGE Publications  Publisher

published in

• Leadership  Journal

keywords

• Academic Leadership
• Communication
• Conversation
• Department Head
• Leadership
• Social Constructionism

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1177/1742715013511739

start page

• 56

end page

• 78

volume

• 10

issue

• 1

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1177%2F1742715013511739