Charismatic Leadership

Defining the Concept

First introduced by German sociologist Max Weber, the word charisma comes from the Greek word

(kharisma), meaning “gift” or “divine favor.” Following this original definition, charisma refers to an extraordinary quality of a person that allows him or her to charm and influence others. In the common vernacular, charisma is often treated as a powerful personal appeal or magnetism that captivates others. The charismatic leadership approach emphasizes heroic leaders with forceful, dramatic personalities and widespread appeal; recent examples include leaders such as Jack Welch, Bill Clinton, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, charisma is very much in the eye of the beholder, suggesting that charismatic leadership is more accurately understood as a relationship between leaders and followers. Charismatic leadership emphasizes the importance of symbolic behaviors, emotional appeals, and the role of the leader in making events meaningful for followers. It focuses on understanding how a leader can influence followers to make sacrifices, commit to difficult or seemingly impossible objectives, and achieve much more than was initially expected. Charismatic leadership is, therefore, not solely a property of the leader's charisma, and focusing on the leader alone ignores the unique circumstances that are crucial in each instance of charismatic leadership. While a leader with extraordinary gifts and qualities is a critical element in this relationship, aspects of the followers and the situation are also important in understanding why some leaders are viewed as charismatic and others are not.

A significant element is that followers who are frightened, threatened, or uncertain are more likely to view a leader as a charismatic savior. Followers are more susceptible to a charismatic leader and his or her vision if they are insecure, alienated, and fearful about their physical safety or economic [Page 73]security, or if they have low self-esteem or a weak self or social identity. Therefore, charismatic leadership is more likely to emerge during a crisis or during a situation of desperation or uncertainty. The leader presents a vision or set of ideas promising a solution to the crisis and a better future (whether achievable or not), and followers are attracted to this gifted person and come to believe in his or her exceptional powers and vision for a better future.

To retain his or her followers, however, the leader must also demonstrate or convince others of his or her ability to deal with the crisis or threat and move followers in the direction of a better future. Accordingly, charismatic leadership is a process that resonates in the exceptional personal attributes of the leader, as well as the fit between those attributes and the needs of followers, against the backdrop of a crisis or undesirable state of affairs.

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