Pivotal leadership and the art of conversation

Abstract

Inspired by auto-ethnographic and self-study action research methods, I explore my experience becoming an interim head in an academic department following the death of my department head. I reflect on my experiences using the literature on department head leadership as well as theory and research I have developed regarding a systemic constructionist approach to leadership. My analysis suggests that our current thinking regarding department head and systemic constructionist leadership could be extended in various ways, including by giving additional attention to reflexive practices that enable leaders to attune to the emerging conversational ecology, focusing on the conversational flows that constitute organizational activity, and investigating how material realities and bodies weave themselves into conversational practices. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.