Synopses & Reviews
We are living in an era when more and more misleading advertising and shameless political campaigns are accepted as the norm. In such a deceptive environment how can an ethical leader advocate for a cause without inviting doubt, resistance, or even indifference among those they intend to persuade?
The Language of Leadership explores the powerful role that language plays in helping leaders, no matter what their field, support their position and create a climate of credibility and legitimacy. In this persuasive and compelling book, Roger Soder draws from a wealth of historical and literary sources and uses illustrative examples from contemporary leadership practices. The Language of Leadership examines the art of developing principled and persuasive arguments and devotes particular attention to the process of gathering evidence on which to support an argument. Throughout the book, Soder advances practical ideas for cultivating public trust, openness and inquiry, and stresses the vital need for modeling democratic values in speech and conduct. Most importantly, the book addresses the myriad moral and political dilemmas that leaders face and shows how to use language and other principled tactics for coping with dissension and conflict when crises erupt.
Written for leaders in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors, The Language of Leadership offers the information and practical guidance needed to understand the crucial impact of words on the ability to lead, heal, motivate, and chart a path to the future.
Review
"Soder's timely contribution to this body of knowledge will inspire reflection and serious thought." (
Planning for Higher Education, 12/02-2/03)
"...beautifully written.... The author is well positioned to write this book." (Planning for Higher Education, 3/4/03)
Review
"[T]his book is not an angel food cake recipe for effective leadership. Business executives should expect no lists of things to do in order to keep clients from leaving by the back door while they are ushering new ones through the front. School principals will look in vain for five easy steps to good relationships with parents. Yet, this is an eminently practical book, a handbook for survival as well as excellence in leadership and sleeping with a clear conscience." — From the Foreword by John I. Goodlad
"When we all think we understand leadership, Soder, with quotations from the ages, shows us new, fascinating, and immensely important elements. A stimulating adventure." — Fisher Howe, author, The Board Member's Guide to Strategic Planning and Welcome to the Board
Synopsis
The Language of Leadership is a thoughtful and practical guide that examines the relationship between language and effective leadership. Author Roger Soder shows leaders— no matter what their field— how to use ethical persuasion to cultivate public trust and build legitimacy for their cause. And most important, The Language of Leadership clearly demonstrates how a leader can accomplish this within the context of democracy— the larger context of leadership.
Synopsis
"When we all think we understand leadership, Soder, with quotations from the ages, shows us new, fascinating, and immensely important elements. A stimulating adventure."--Fisher Howe, author, The Board Member's Guide to Strategic Planning and Welcome to the Board
With The Language of Leadership you'll explore the powerful role that language plays in helping leaders, no matter what their field, support their position and create a climate of credibility and legitimacy.
Written for leaders in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors, The Language of Leadership offers you the information and practical guidance you need to understand the crucial impact of words on the ability to lead, heal, motivate, and chart a path to the future.
About the Author
Roger Soder is a senior associate at the Center for Educational Renewal, University of Washington, and vice president of the independent Institute for Educational Inquiry. Soder is the editor of Democracy, Education, and the Schools and coeditor with John I. Goodlad and Kenneth Sirotnik of The Moral Dimensions of Teaching and Places Where Teachers Are Taught (all from Jossey-Bass).
Table of Contents
Foreword (John I. Goodlad).
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
The Author.
Persuasion: A Critical Function of Leadership.
Information Seeking: Principles, Strategies, Costs.
The Ethics and Ecology of Persuasion.
The Political Context of Leadership.
Leadership, Reconciliation, and Reconstitution.
Reflections and Directions.
Notes.
Index.