Leadership, Communication, and Social Influence

Can you identify five political leaders whose ideas you don't share but for whom you still have respect? Or multiple media channels and news outlets you tend to disagree with but still listen to? In an age of heightened and polarized ideologies and viewpoints, it is becoming increasingly important to engage in critical self-reflection about the dynamics of social influence in our personal and professional lives, and the responsibility we each bear as agents of social influence in local and global groups, teams, organizations, and communities.

Ruben and Gigliotti challenge readers to bring a more nuanced understanding of communication and social influence to the decisions they make as aspiring leaders and followers. Throughout the book, the authors explore vexing questions, such as how some leaders in the workplace, community, or national political scene succeed in amassing large amounts of dedicated followers, and yet seemingly fail to exhibit the characteristics and competencies described by most experts in leadership? Or why certain social influence efforts seem to connect immediately and quite automatically with some audiences, while possibilities for influence with other constituencies may only develop over a longer period-or not at all? By exploring the convergence of leadership and communication, Ruben and Gigliotti evaluate the ways in which the perspectives, messages, and behaviors of a sender/leader and receiver/follower can resonate and the impact of this resonance on the responses and reactions of people around them.

Designed for leadership and communication students, scholars, and practitioners, Leadership, Communication, and Social Influence: A Theory of Resonance, Activation, and Cultivation offers a timely exploration into the evolution of leadership, communication, and social influence, and sheds light on how we can all become more responsible leaders, followers, and citizens.

About the Author

Brent D. Ruben is a Distinguished Professor of Communication, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Executive Director of the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University. He is the author of numerous books, including A Guide for Leaders in Higher Education: Core Concepts, Competencies, and Tools (2017) and What Leaders Need to Know and Do (2006).

Ralph A. Gigliotti is Director of Leadership Development and Research at the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University. His recent publications include Leadership: Communication and Social Influence in Personal and Professional Settings (2017) and Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Theory and Practice (2019).