Language and Leadership: Key Linguistic Attributes and Devices Reflecting Charismatic Leadership of King Rama IX of Thailand *Featured Article*

Abstract

Effective communication is one of the most important factors bringing about people’s confidence in the information and its source. Most charismatic leaders employ some particular rhetorical devices to gain people’s trust with the ultimate goal of bringing peace and prosperity to the nation. The present study aimed at extracting some linguistic devices and attributes in relation to roles of leaders from speeches delivered by King Rama IX—one of the most significant and respectful leaders of Thailand. Data were speeches of HM the King given from 1974 to 1999 on the occasion of the royal birthday anniversaries. Qualitatively, types of attributes and linguistic devices were proposed while frequencies of occurrences of devices, together with frequencies per 1,000-word text, were quantitatively reported. Results found that King Rama IX’s studied speeches comprised three attributes—[HUMBLENESS], [PERSUASIVENESS] AND [SOLIDARITY]—with eight major types of linguistic devices. The proposed attributes and devices were said to enhance confidence of Thai people on his leadership.