The transformational leader as pedagogue, physician, architect, commander, and saint

Five root metaphors in Jack Welch's letters to stockholders of General Electric

Bibliographic Data

ID9889154
AuthorsJoel Amernic (University of Toronto, corresponding author), Russell Craig (0000-0001-9052-9466), Dennis Tourish (0000-0002-9881-1930, Robert Gordon University)
Year2007
Volume60
Issue12
Pages1839-1872
Publication date2007-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0018726707084916
OpenAlexW2163444493
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited74

We analyse the corpus of CEO letters to stockholders that were signed by a widely revered business leader, Jack Welch, during his tenure as CEO of the General Electric Company [GE], 1981—2000. Our discussion is located within theory pertaining to transformational leadership. We examine Welch's language from the standpoint of how transformational leadership can be conceived as a rhetorical artefact of one-sided dialogue emanating from a powerful leader. We give particular attention to the saturation of Welch's discourse with metaphors, and argue that metaphors illuminate how transformational leadership and the accompanying construct of charisma manifest themselves in practice. Five root metaphors that heightened Welch's persuasive and rhetorical impact on his audience are identified and discussed: Welch as pedagogue , physician, architect, commander and saint . We advocate greater awareness of the rhetorical techniques employed by transformational leaders in attempts to broker compliance with their views

Art · Art history · Charisma · Linguistics · Management · Political science · Rhetoric · Rhetorical question · SAINT · Sociology · Transformational leadership · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Law · Organizational Strategy and Culture · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology