The power of language in leadership: a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of leader motivating language

Over the past few decades, importance of leadership communication has caused a tremendous rise in the research studies on leaders’ use of motivating language, yet there is an absence of a synthesized knowledge based on the topic of Leader Motivating Language (LML) in existing literature. To address this gap, the present study conducts a state-of-the-art systematic literature review (SLR) to highlight the current research profile, key thematic areas, publication patterns, and intellectual structure of LML literature. This study utilizes SPAR-4-SLR technique to search, select, and review 82 LML studies published in Web of Science, and Scopus-indexed journals, spanning over three decades (1988–2023). The evaluation of the selected studies was done in two ways: (i) quantitative bibliometric analyses through VosViewer to highlight the current research profile of LML literature, and (ii) manual content analysis to synthesize extant literature and suggest future research agenda. This study unpacks publication trend, most influential authors, articles, countries, top contributing journals, and methodological choices in LML scholarship. In addition to these, this study reveals insights into seven major themes of LML research. The findings of bibliometric analyses are supported by a content analysis, which synthesizes existing literature at three levels of analysis: (i) micro (individual), (ii) meso (group/team), and (iii) macro-levels (organization). Finally, the knowledge gaps in the current literature were scrutinized to highlight the possible research avenues for further development of knowledge. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by presenting the first comprehensive SLR on the LML construct using various scientific approaches, thus, offering a point of reference for future developments of knowledge in this field of study. The findings of this review guide practitioners about appropriate use of LML to inspire followers for higher job satisfaction and better performance, ultimately leading to superior organizational outcomes. Managers must comprehend the need to target their language for nurturing desired behavior as employee retention and motivation are the challenges for organizations in the current dynamic business environment.