Effects of non-verbal communication on leader effectiveness during task- and relation oriented behavior

A key determinant of effective leadership is the communication between leaders and followers, especially the non-verbal behavior (NVB) is important for communication. However, not much is known about the impact of NVB of leaders on leadership effectiveness; especially which specific NVBs might strengthen the verbal messages of leaders. This study aims to discover which NVBs support leader effectiveness during verbal behaviors in an organizational context. Subsequently, a quantitative multi-method, cross-sectional study was conducted. To get insight in the non-verbal behavior that leaders display during social interactions we made use of a video-observation methodology with systematic coding of verbal and NVB on the basis of a codebook. The data were collected in a large public organization in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were filled in by the employees to get insight into the perceived leader effectiveness. Subsequently, a regression analysis has been performed, which showed that the frequent display of lowered eyebrows during task-oriented behaviors significantly decreased leadership effectiveness. A frequent display of open smiles, looking towards the group and open palms during relation-oriented behaviors did not significantly influence leadership effectiveness, neither did a frequent use of open palms or closed palms or a less frequent use of downward palms during task-oriented behavior.