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

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

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9889154
AutoresJoel Amernic (University of Toronto, autor de correspondencia), Russell Craig (0000-0001-9052-9466), Dennis Tourish (0000-0002-9881-1930, Robert Gordon University)
Año2007
Volumen60
Número12
Páginas1839-1872
Fecha de publicación2007-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0018726707084916
OpenAlexW2163444493
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas21
Referencias citadas74

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