Charismatic Leadership Theory

Usually a leader is a person who attempts to influence others (one person or a group of people) to focus on some sort of goal or outcome. That leader can be a person at the helm of a large global for-profit organization or a small community nonprofit, or can be a political, religious, or social leader who is not in a business setting. Many observers wonder how a leader becomes a leader, given the many definitions of leadership. Similarly, many different indicators or qualities could be associated with what makes a good, bad, effective, or poor leader.

Researchers at the Center for Creative Leadership asked people what qualities they think make leaders effective. One response was “having charisma.” According to this research, it doesn’t matter how ...