Charismatic Leadership

Graphics courtesy of TLNTOpens in new window CharismaOpens in new window is often used to describe a seemingly effortless ability to charm and influence people. It refers especially to a quality in some persons who easily draw the attention and admiration of others due to a magnetic personality or appearance.

Charismatic leaders have “insight into the needs, hopes, and values of followersOpens in new window.” They are able to create a vision that motivates commitment to the leader’s policies and strategies.

Charismatic leaders are said to possess certain attributes or qualities such as personal magnetism and (apparent) self-confidence, a dramatic, persuasive manner of speaking, strong enthusiasm, and strong convictions. These qualities make the charismatic leader seem to be a person who can be trusted to lead followers to organizational success.

The renown psychologist, Sigmund FreudOpens in new window, theorized that charismatic leaders have such strong effects on followers because followers resolve inner conflicts between their self-image and what they think should be making the charismatic leader a representative of their desired state. To followers, the leader becomes an ideal whose behavior they can emulate, or copy or simulate.

By complete acceptance of a leader and the leader’s ideas, followers fulfill a natural human desire to become more noble and worthy. Through imitation of the leader, followers thus become their ideal selves.

The process by which followers connect with charismatic leaders is called personal identification, a phenomenon which helps explain why followers will actively defend the leader against critics or other attackers. They are really defending their own ideal self, which they are striving to become.

Leaders with charisma have an enormous impact on their followers because they are able to do three main things.

• First, they are able to exert idealized influence, which means that they have a vision of great meaning and purpose, and they are able to get followers to buy into their idealization.
• Second, they are able to be inspirational leaders; they have the ability to influence others by getting followers excited about the ideals.
• Third, charismatic leaders are able to make their followers think; they stimulate followers to form their own opinions and make independent judgments.

Charismatic leadership can be good or bad, depending on the leader’s goals. We call “good” charismatic leaders authentic leaders, and we call “bad” charismatic leaders inauthentic leaders. The terms ethical and unethical are also used in place of authentic and inauthentic, respectively.

All charismatic leaders are concerned with bringing about big changes, and all charismatic leaders have a group of followers who believe in them above all else. The difference lies in the moral nature of the charismatic leader’s proposed goal. For example, charismatic leaders often get results, but they may also put their followers at risk.

Charismatic leaders such as Adolf HitlerOpens in new window, Jim JonesOpens in new window, David KoreshOpens in new window, and Charles MansonOpens in new window have carried out evil or immoral missions and brought ruin and death to their followers. Refer to Table X-1 for the qualities of ethical and unethical charismatic leaders and their effects on followers.

Transformational vs Charismatic Leadership

While some have suggested that charismatic leadership is really a component of transformational leadersOpens in new window, others suggest it is still a separate leadership approach.

Both charismatic and transformational leaders can certainly use their exceptional leadership skills for good. However, though transformational leaders are focused on the best interest of the individuals and the organization, charismatic leaders may place more emphasis on their own needs and interests and become caught up in their own hype.

Leaders who follow their own agendas become inflexible, believe they can do no wrong, and tend to dismiss the advice from others if it diverges from their own convictions. In addition, serious repercussions can occur when charismatic leaders become convinced of their own infallibility—their followers may also buy into this belief and perceive such leaders as invincible.

The danger is that followers will relate their own personal job satisfaction and the success of the organization directly to the presence of the leader. In this situation, the departure of a charismatic leader can have a devastating effect on followers. Therefore, the charismatic leader needs to be an appropriate role model for followers.

In summary, the difference between transformational and charismatic leaders lies in their intent. Transformational leaders want to transform their teams and organizations, while leaders who rely on charisma often focus on themselves and their own ambitions, and they may not want to change anything.