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This articles proposes that the leadership role for the future is one of teaching organizational members to think about their thinking to solve complex problems. Organizational members must realize how they create reality, and how they can go about changing it. They must come to understand that one's thinking and subsequent actions create one's problems, and problems can no longer be solved with the same mentality which created them. The article offers a number of specific communicative devices for the leader as teacher. Language for leaders includes questioning, modelling dialogue, using metaphor, and telling stories. The way in which these communicative devices function as leader‐teacher tools is explained.

Explores the relationships between organizational communication and organization theory. Focuses on interorganizational communication and assesses several models of interorganizational relations. Proposes and discusses a method for studying interorganizational communication.

Organizations develop cultural artifacts to create and sustain organizational meaning. Symbolism creates organizational reality such that assumptions become taken‐for‐granted. This paper examines the way in which symbols function to create meaning. For example, metaphor actually causes one to focus on certain aspects of concepts to the exclusion of others. We propose that the creative symbolism used in organizations can be transferred to the classroom to foster shared meaning as conceptual building blocks for further learning. Several examples of how symbolism may be used to strengthen teaching and learning in “quantitative” courses are provided.

Employees communicate more easily and are more committed to the organization when beliefs and values are shared. Explores the phenomenon of sudden “lost meaning” – a situation in which individuals who strongly share the organization′s culture appear suddenly to cease to identify with the meanings and values to which they once strongly ascribed. Discovers two variables through examination of motivation theory. Proposes that these variables provide insight into sudden lost meaning and, consequently, suggest a framework for managerial behaviour.

Reviews theory on coalition formation and what it might mean to a manager in an organization. Defines coalition, for the purpose of the discussion, as a means‐oriented alliance among groups or individuals who differ in goals. Proposes that a theoretic understanding of coalitions, coupled with communications network analysis, would be a useful tool for discerning particular types of organizational coalitions and a guide to who might coalesce with whom for a detrimental result.

This article examines how meaning comes about through the symbolic interactions of organizational members. The article also explores the power dimension of creating and sustaining corporate meaning and proposes that leaders are well‐positioned to influence shared organizational meaning (culture). Specific attention is given to symbolic devices which corporate leaders can use to both craft and sustain meaning structures. Communicative implications for leaders who desire to craft corporate meaning are provided. Suggestions for research contributing to the verification and critical examination of shared corporate meaning are put forward.