The art of framing

by Gail Theus Fairhurst

Just as photographers create powerful images by framing each image with their lenses, effective leaders seize every conversation as a chance to help others see what they see. It is through countless everyday conversations - more than through big speeches or major presentations - that leaders help others make sense of events, explain the whys and wherefores of company decisions, secure commitments, and "reframe" the negative views of those who resist change. The Art of Framing demonstrates this kind of daily leadership in action. Communication and organization experts Gail T. Fairhurst and Robert A. Sarr analyzed hundreds of verbatim conversations between leaders and their direct reports to discover how the most effective leaders manage meaning. Looking beyond the world of business to politics, entertainment, sports, and education, the authors demonstrate that while even the best leaders cannot always control events, they can - and do - influence how events are seen and interpreted. The