Leading Distributed Teams: The Communicative Constitution of Leadership

A key aspect of leadership effectiveness across geographical distance is communication. However, researchers are only beginning to empirically explore the communicative aspects and constitution of military units and leadership in these contexts. This article highlights communicative features and processes in studies of distributed military units, particularly in those that examine leadership. We discuss aspects of military leadership that are in particular need of a communicative lens, including the communication of command intent, sensemaking, and leading across multiple cultures. We present future research directions that will further advance our understanding of the inextricable relationship between leadership and communication in distributed contexts. New technologies, advanced capabilities, and increased involvement of non-state actors are leading to a rapidly expanding, non-linear, multi-dimensional battlespace. Operations are becoming more distributed in time, space, and purpose and increasingly joint, multinational, and interagency in nature. (Department of the Army, 2009)