Chapter 1: Communicating and Leading at
Work
Chapter Context
This chapter describes the importance of communication and leadership to your career, the
relationship between leadership and communication, and the five major communication
principles.
Outcome-based Outline
Outcome
Learning Objectives
Critical Thinking
1.1 Review how
communication skills
determine leadership
qualities
1.3 Examine how the
leadership quality of
influencing others through
communication is an art
Communication
1.4 Describe the five
fundamental principles to
effectively increase
communication and
leadership skills
Knowledge of Discipline
1.2 Recognize that
communication occurs only
when it reaches the desired
audience
Discussion Question Bank
This discussion question bank provides a listing of discussion questions (1-2 per module),
which are included for in-class use.
Module
Discussion Question(s)
1.1 Communication and
Leadership
1. Discuss the role of communication at the
workplace.
2. Consider a manager at your workplace, and
assess whether possessing effective
communication skills makes him or her
successful at his or her job.
1.2 Communication: Making
Sense and Sharing Sense
1. How can you describe the process of human
communication? Examine its different elements.
2. Discuss the components that comprise a
complete communication process. Why is
transactional communication important at the
workplace?
1.3 Leadership: Influencing
1. How are leadership and communication skills
Others Through
Communication
related to each other? What is the difference
between a manager and a leader?
2. Recall a political leader who was technologically
challenged. How did this affect his or her
leadership ability? Why?
1.4 Leading Others: Applying
Communication Principles at
Work
1. Discuss the five principles that provide you with
a framework for understanding communication at
work.
2. What is ethical communication? Why is it helpful
at the workplace?
Research Assignments
The following research assignments pertain to the main topics and/or themes of the chapter.
Please respond by writing a paper consisting of 1,000-1,500 words.
Leadership: Influencing Others through Communication
Leadership is the process of influencing others to achieve goals through verbal and nonverbal
messages.The quality of leadership influences virtually every aspect of what it feels like to be
in any organization. Write a report analyzing how your leadership influences others through
Experiential Activity
Project Runway
Goals
•
To demonstrate authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles.
•
To determine results of production under each leadership style.
•
To increase awareness as to effect of leadership style on subordinates.
Group size
Divide the class into three groups.
Time required
One hour
Materials
Three black cotton dresses
Material scraps
Ribbons
Boas
Procedure
1. The facilitator gives students numbers: 1, 2, 3, thus dividing the class into
three equal groups.
2. One participant is selected to be the leader. He/she is given instructions
3. The materials are set up in the center of the room. The facilitator announces that
the groups have twenty minutes for the task that will be judged by the class
4. After the fashion show, the dresses are voted on by the class, according to creativity,
beauty and functionality.
5. At the end of the voting process, the groups rate their leader using a Likert scale of 1–
6. After votes, groups determine their leadership style and discuss their feelings about
Discussion
Discussion should include how leadership style affects group performance in complex
ways.
Which leadership style encouraged creativity?
