The Way of Charismatic Leadership

Originally defined by famed sociologist Max Weber, charismatic leadership has evolved in our understanding. Australian National University academic Dr Alan Verhagen summarises Weber’s original idea of a charismatic leader as ‘one perceived to possess transcendent powers which set him or her apart from others’.

As studies of leadership continued through the 20th century, charismatic leadership took its place among a whole host of other differentiated leadership styles, many of which are defined by Growth Faculty. In this paradigm, charismatic leaders are those who leverage their personalities and interpersonal skills to lead their teams. 

What is a charismatic leader?

In 1993, organisational psychologists Boas Shamir and Robert J House defined in detail the mechanisms of charismatic leadership, producing four criteria for identifying the style:

1. Charismatic leaders influence their followers to buy into the vision or mission statement
2. Followers take on the values of the charismatic leader.
3. The leader demonstrates a strong personal, moral commitment to those values
4. Followers become willing to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the collective

In an essay on the subject, Australian Army instructor Sergeant Major Darren Murch, OAM, gives the historical examples of President John F. Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela - whose speeches are identified by leadership trainers Bamboo Bridge as classic examples of charismatic leadership. He cautions against feeling disheartened by such a comparison, however, noting that ‘[charismatic] qualities can be within all leaders’.

This is affirmed by Dr Verhagan’s research, which notes that ‘rather than being a mysterious personal process’, charisma is firmly rooted in our social behaviour.

Charismatic leadership behaviour

All sources agree that a crucial foundation of charismatic leadership is superior communication. When dealing with individuals, charismatic leaders exercise emotional sensitivity and empathic communication to truly connect. Meanwhile, when communicating with a group, charismatic leaders are able to boldly articulate a shared vision which goes inspires their followers.

In order to do this, charismatic leaders must be confident, engaging personalities. This means practising communication skills like maintaining eye contact, voice projection and body language. 

Even the Ancient Greeks appreciated the power of charisma, with philosopher Aristotle identifying the three pillars of effective leadership as pathos, inspiring followers’ emotions; ethos, gaining their respect through demonstration of moral character; and logos, the use of coherent reasoning. Chloe Oestreich of Co Consultancy summarises this in modern terms as presence, power and warmth.

Transformational vs charismatic leadership

Among the pantheon of leadership styles discussed by management experts, charismatic leadership bares strong similarities to another style - transformational leadership. However, there are subtle differences between the two. While both transformational leaders and charismatic leaders work to bring out the best in their followers, for transformational leaders, this remains the principal aim of their work - that is, inducing individual and organisational change. 

Charismatic leadership, by contrast, does not set its aim as transformation, but rather the fulfilment of the personal vision or mission. It is in influencing followers to buy into the vision or mission that the charismatic leader gets results. 

The benefits of charismatic leadership

A raft of studies have found a variety of benefits resulting from a charismatic leadership style. Some of these include:

Employee Satisfaction

According to a study in the International Journal of Psychology (IJP), charismatic leadership leads to employees feeling greater connection to their work group. In feeling more connected, they can also feel higher job satisfaction, participate more fully, and be retained for longer. 

Innovation

Other research from the University of Queensland (UQ) reveals that teams with effective charismatic leaders are more innovative. This is again due to the sense of team identity and commitment that is fostered by charismatic leadership, as well as the facilitation of greater cooperative interaction within teams.

Crisis management

Sergeant Major Gove is not the only one to recognise that a crisis is often the catalyst for the emergence of a charismatic leader. In times of crisis, a strong vision is called for to inspire people to overcome unusual challenges. At the same time, followers require more support, something else a charismatic leader is uniquely suited for, due to their excellent interpersonal skills.

Overall Performance

In general, research shows that an increase in business performance by as much as 30% can be directly attributable to the atmosphere that is generated by a leader. Charismatic leaders, who steer culture through personal magnetism, are at the front of the pack when it comes to creating effective cultures.

How to be a charismatic leader

Despite citing seemingly inimitable historical examples of charismatic leaders, Sergeant Major Gove reassures us that ‘charismatic leadership need not only be used by those who have interesting stories, attract the limelight when entering a room or become the captain of every team they join. Rather, leaders who are astute and assess the environment, consider the audience and weigh up the priorities of the mission can have a transforming effect’.

Focusing on three key actions, as summarised by researchers from Griffith University, Queensland, can allow anyone to exercise charismatic leadership.

Envision

Formulating and effectively communicating a vision is the first fundamental step a charismatic leader needs to take. This vision is best supported by personal values, to allow the leader to leverage his or her personality to the largest extent when engaging with their followers.

Empathise 

Charismatic leaders must remain sensitive and responsive to their followers’ emotional needs. This means providing emotional support and encouragement when necessary. Doing so allows the leader to maintain maximum group cohesion, which is essential for enabling team buy-in to the mission. 

Empower

Empowering your team means leading them to strongly believe in their own capabilities. This can be done by delegation and power-sharing, encouragement and displays of confidence, just to name a few possibilities. By feeling influential and competent, employees become more likely to contribute at a high level. 

Caution for charismatic leaders

Clearly, charismatic leadership can be a powerful method of inspiring teams to greater heights. There are, however, some risks associated with such an approach, which leaders should be mindful of. Being reliant on the power of an individual’s personality, the leadership style can also encourage excessive self-focus, even narcissism, on the part of the leader, who may come to believe their own myth. Rather than inspiring, this can be alienating for team members, who may come to view the leader as superficial or presumptuous.And, of course, it’s always important to remember that a leader cannot take care of their team if they do not first take care of themselves. As inspiring as they might be, charismatic leaders are just as susceptible to stress as anyone else. There is a range of steps you can take to help cope with professional pressure and avoid burnout as you lead your team on to ever-greater success.