Leaders' gossip as informal leadership communication: norms, strategy and ethics

Purpose This paper develops a conceptual framework that positions leaders' gossip as a form of informal leadership communication, addressing its neglect in leadership research. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual synthesis of gossip, leadership communication, organizational culture, and ethical leadership literatures is undertaken to theorize gossip's functions in leadership practice. Findings Leaders' gossip is conceptualized across three dimensions – normative, strategic, and ethical – each expressed through functions such as norm reinforcement, sensegiving, soft intelligence gathering, and moral signaling. Boundary conditions including leadership style, organizational culture and digital or cross-cultural contexts shape whether gossip strengthens trust and learning or undermines them. Originality/value The paper redefines gossip as a legitimate leadership practice, integrating fragmented literatures and challenging overly formalized accounts of leadership communication. It highlights gossip's role in shaping norms, culture and ethics, offering new directions for empirical inquiry and leadership development.