This study investigates the longitudinal associations between perceived language barriers and leadership-communication dynamics in global virtual teams. Despite extensive research on language barriers' detrimental effects, how individuals navigate these challenges over time and whether barriers might paradoxically motivate leadership emergence remains unclear. We analyzed multi-wave data from 1,520 students in 324 teams participating in an 8-week global business competition using a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to distinguish stable individual traits from dynamic weekly fluctuations. Results revealed distinct patterns at two levels. At the between-person level, internal language barriers (self-perceived expressive difficulties) negatively predicted stable leadership and communication traits. Conversely, external barriers (perceiving others' communication difficulties) positively predicted leadership traits, suggesting individuals "step up" to fill leadership vacuums created by team communication challenges. At the within-person level, an evolutionary pattern emerged: communication initially drove leadership emergence mid-project, with this influence sustained throughout. The reverse path—leadership predicting communication—was initially absent but emerged strongly in later stages, shifting the relationship from unidirectional to reciprocal. These findings reveal that while external barriers may motivate stable leadership emergence, active communication serves as the initial catalyst for leadership dynamics, later evolving into a mutually reinforcing cycle.
