Charisma

Theories of Charisma

The earliest mention of charisma occurs in religious writings. Religious prophets and leaders such as Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed were believed to possess special characteristics that captivated and inspired followers. Most often, these characteristics included divine or magical powers, including the power to heal, perform other miracles, and foresee the future.

Social-science interest in charisma began when the German sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920) examined what he termed “charismatic authority.” For Weber, charismatic individuals possess an extraordinary quality that captivates others, but it is in the relationship between the leader's qualities and the followers' devotion to the leader and belief in the leader's cause that charisma lies. This notion that the leader-follower relationship is the key to charisma permeates many of the modern theories of charismatic leadership. Weber also believed that the leadership context was important, with charismatic leaders more likely to emerge during times of crisis and social upheaval.

The psychoanalytic theory of charisma also tends to emphasize the role of the follower in charisma and charismatic leadership. According to the psychoanalytic theory, followers idolize a chosen individual in much the same way that a young child idolizes a parent, imbuing the charismatic individual with great qualities and projecting their own needs onto an individual whom they perceive as able to satisfy those needs. In addition, however, psychoanalytic theorists note certain characteristics that accompany charisma, qualities such as physical attractiveness, an air of mystery, or something such as a physical flaw, a foreign accent, or a striking birthmark that draws attention to the person. According to the psychoanalytic model, the charismatic leader, through the use of authority and capitalizing on the followers' strong identification with the leader, induces the followers' unquestioning devotion and allegiance.

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