Frequently Asked Questions About Conversational Leadership Conversational Leadership: Key points and myths

There are many misconceptions and myths surrounding the idea of Conversational Leadership. To help clarify and shed light on the practice, here are some frequently asked questions, each with a thoughtful response.

It’s easy to assume Conversational Leadership is simply about improving conversations or becoming a better manager or leader. While those are aspects of it, there’s much more to it than that. As you explore Conversational Leadership, try not to let the label limit your understanding of what it is—or what it could mean to you.

The following frequently asked questions will help you gain a clearer understanding. You can also browse my gateway posts and pages to explore the breadth and depth of the subject.

1. What is Conversational Leadership?
   
   

   Conversational Leadership is about appreciating the transformative power of conversation, practicing leadership, and adopting a conversational approach to working together in a complex world.

   Credit: David Gurteen

   Conversational Leadership is a multidisciplinary approach to living and working in our increasingly complex world. It is both an attitude and a practice—a way of seeing the world and a set of behaviours. It’s about creating a better life, a better organisation, and a better world.
   
   See here for an introduction, or if you’d like to explore the breadth and depth of Conversational Leadership, visit my Gateway pages.
   
   Gateway content forms the core of this site and includes the more comprehensive articles that best reflect the spirit of Conversational Leadership.
   
   
   
   
2. Does Conversational Leadership mean the same to everyone?
   Conversational Leadership is not a widely known or clearly defined term, so people interpret it in different ways. Various authors and practitioners have used the phrase to mean different things.

   Some take a narrow view, thinking it’s simply about improving how we talk or becoming a more effective leader. Others see it as a shift from one-way communication to more dialogue-based leadership, but still within traditional authority structures, often assuming it’s only relevant for managers and focused on top-down communication.

   This overlooks the broader intent. Conversational Leadership, as I describe it, includes sense-making, mutual respect, good faith engagement, and many other elements that go beyond roles, titles, or simple technique.

   
   
   
3. What is the history of Conversational Leadership?
   Conversational Leadership is a relatively recent and rapidly evolving discipline that began around 2007.
   
   
   
   
4. Who is Conversational Leadership for?
   Conversational Leadership is for anyone who wants to take responsibility, influence others, and lead—whether in a small or significant way—in their life, work, or community. It’s potentially for everyone.
   
   
   
   
5. How do I become a Conversational Leader?
   You don’t “become” a Conversational Leader. Conversational Leadership is a practice—not a title or position.
   
   
   
   
6. What training do I need?
   Conversational Leadership is about learning, not training. It’s a journey—not a course, a certificate, or a credential to put after your name.
   
   It’s a personal, lifelong commitment to reflection and growth. You can engage with it as deeply or lightly as you choose. Everyone’s path is different.
   
   
   
   
7. Do I need permission to practice Conversational Leadership?
   Anyone can practice Conversational Leadership. You don’t need permission. It’s an approach, a mindset, and a set of behaviours.
   
   
   
   
8. Is Conversational Leadership about improving conversational skills?
   Conversational Leadership is not only about becoming a better communicator. That’s part of it, but it also involves embracing more thoughtful ways of acting and thinking in an increasingly complex world. It’s about better sense-making, meaning-making, decision-making, innovation, and strategy.
   
   
   
   
9. Is Conversational Leadership about leading conversations?
   Conversational Leadership is not about leading conversations. It’s about using conversation to lead.
   
   
   
   
10. Is Conversational Leadership a management style?
    Conversational Leadership is not just a management style. While managers can practice it, so can anyone. It goes well beyond participatory or conversational management approaches.
    
    
    
    
11. Is Conversational Leadership only for managers?
    Conversational Leadership is not only for managers. It’s a practice. Anyone with influence is a leader. And we all have influence, to varying degrees. Each of us can take responsibility and lead in areas we care about, with or without formal authority.
    
    
    
    
12. Does Conversational Leadership mean heroic leaders are not needed?
    Conversational Leadership doesn’t imply we no longer need authority-based leaders. Organisations still need structure and traditional management. But we also need a bit less conventional leadership and more of what Henry Mintzberg calls communityship.
    
    
    
    
13. Does Conversational Leadership mean that everyone should lead?
    Conversational Leadership isn’t about everyone constantly trying to lead—that would be chaos. It means anyone can choose to step forward and lead when it feels appropriate, and step back again when needed.
    
    
    
    
14. Is Conversational Leadership a Human Resources Initiative?
    Conversational Leadership is not an HR programme or top-down organisational initiative. It’s a personal choice—a commitment you make to practise it.
    
    
    
    
15. Is Conversational Leadership only about business?
    Conversational Leadership is not limited to business. While this blook often focuses on the workplace—since business shapes much of the world—its principles apply across all areas of life: personal, family, organisational, community, political, and even global.
    
    
    
    
16. Is Conversational Leadership only about employee engagement?
    Conversational Leadership is not just about increasing employee engagement. While it can certainly help, that’s not its primary aim.
    
    
    
    
17. Is Conversational Leadership the same as Dialogic OD?
    Conversational Leadership and Dialogic OD share some tools and ideas, but they are fundamentally different.
    
    Conversational Leadership is about behaviours anyone can adopt, inside or outside organisations. Dialogic OD involves structured interventions by OD consultants and practitioners.
    
    
    
    
18. What is the connection between Conversational Leadership and Knowledge Management?
    Conversational Leadership supports Knowledge Management by creating the conditions for knowledge to be shared, understood, and used through conversation. It values dialogue as a way to build trust, reflect together, and make sense of what people know. Conversation is not just for communication but also a key way knowledge is created and applied.