Navigating Relationship Conflicts through Leadership Communication: A Systematic Review of Persuasive Language and Symbolic Interaction

The effective integration of persuasive language with symbolic interactionism is critical to resolving relationship conflicts with communication leadership. The focus of this study is to investigate how leaders use rhetorical strategies and symbolic messages to create trust, relational harmony, and effective conflict management. Using a qualitative approach, a systematic literature review (SLR) design was adopted with the synthesis of the results from 20 peer reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2025. Using PRISMA guidelines for rigour and transparency in study selection for research, a set of selected studies was thematically analysed to identify patterns through emergence. Results indicate that rhetorical framing and persuasive tone modulation enhance trust and allow for collaboration and conflict resolution. In the same way, symbolic interactionism focuses on nonverbal cues and common meaning as a means to relational cohesion and deal with organizational complexity. Taken together, these frameworks give a full picture of leadership communication. The effective integration of persuasive language and the symbolic interactionism is critical in resolving relationship conflicts with effective leadership communication. The study offers theoretical contributions by integrating symbolic interactionism and persuasion theories, while practical implications highlight strategies for leadership training programs to enhance communication skills and conflict resolution capabilities in diverse organizational contexts.