A Theory of Leadership Meta-Talk and the Talking-Doing Gap
(2025) In Journal of Management Studies- Abstract
We identify managers' meta-level talk about the positive purpose, meaning, and significance of their actions as an overlooked type of leadership behaviour and call it leadership meta-talk. We outline why leadership meta-talk is not necessarily truthful or deceptive, but selective and loosely coupled with leadership practice. We discuss varieties of leadership meta-talk, namely aspirational, sub-texting, and sensemaking meta-talk, as well as principled, situational, formulaic, and casual meta-talk. We show how all varieties of leadership meta-talk draw people's attention to positive aspects of leadership practice and provide positive interpretations of it. Thus, leadership meta-talk can positively influence attributions of leadership and... (More)
We identify managers' meta-level talk about the positive purpose, meaning, and significance of their actions as an overlooked type of leadership behaviour and call it leadership meta-talk. We outline why leadership meta-talk is not necessarily truthful or deceptive, but selective and loosely coupled with leadership practice. We discuss varieties of leadership meta-talk, namely aspirational, sub-texting, and sensemaking meta-talk, as well as principled, situational, formulaic, and casual meta-talk. We show how all varieties of leadership meta-talk draw people's attention to positive aspects of leadership practice and provide positive interpretations of it. Thus, leadership meta-talk can positively influence attributions of leadership and portray workplaces as overly harmonious and well-ordered, masking power imbalances and tensions and creating a quantitative and qualitative talking-doing gap. We argue that these talking-doing gaps are systemic rather than pathological features of the contemporary workplace because overly positive leadership meta-talk responds to systemic pressures and opportunities for managers and provides egocentric, psycho-relational, and public-image benefits. In contrast, leadership practice that lives up to leadership meta-talk is more costly, difficult, and time-consuming than commonly assumed. Our theory reconciles attributional, behavioural, and romancing views of leadership, and offers new insights into key organizational and societal challenges, including managing healthy workplace expectations.
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- author
- Fischer, Thomas LU and Alvesson, Mats LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-06-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- attributions, leadership, leadership behaviors, leadership meta-talk, romance of leadership, talking-doing gap
- in
- Journal of Management Studies
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105007540798
- ISSN
- 0022-2380
- DOI
- 10.1111/joms.13249
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Management Studies published by Society for the Advancement of Management Studies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- id
- 44aac4ab-459b-434e-a5cd-c6d6c43a6ee3
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-20 13:40:02
- date last changed
- 2026-01-20 13:41:21
@article{44aac4ab-459b-434e-a5cd-c6d6c43a6ee3,
abstract = {{<p>We identify managers' meta-level talk about the positive purpose, meaning, and significance of their actions as an overlooked type of leadership behaviour and call it leadership meta-talk. We outline why leadership meta-talk is not necessarily truthful or deceptive, but selective and loosely coupled with leadership practice. We discuss varieties of leadership meta-talk, namely aspirational, sub-texting, and sensemaking meta-talk, as well as principled, situational, formulaic, and casual meta-talk. We show how all varieties of leadership meta-talk draw people's attention to positive aspects of leadership practice and provide positive interpretations of it. Thus, leadership meta-talk can positively influence attributions of leadership and portray workplaces as overly harmonious and well-ordered, masking power imbalances and tensions and creating a quantitative and qualitative talking-doing gap. We argue that these talking-doing gaps are systemic rather than pathological features of the contemporary workplace because overly positive leadership meta-talk responds to systemic pressures and opportunities for managers and provides egocentric, psycho-relational, and public-image benefits. In contrast, leadership practice that lives up to leadership meta-talk is more costly, difficult, and time-consuming than commonly assumed. Our theory reconciles attributional, behavioural, and romancing views of leadership, and offers new insights into key organizational and societal challenges, including managing healthy workplace expectations.</p>}},
author = {{Fischer, Thomas and Alvesson, Mats}},
issn = {{0022-2380}},
keywords = {{attributions; leadership; leadership behaviors; leadership meta-talk; romance of leadership; talking-doing gap}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{06}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Journal of Management Studies}},
title = {{A Theory of Leadership Meta-Talk and the Talking-Doing Gap}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joms.13249}},
doi = {{10.1111/joms.13249}},
year = {{2025}},
}