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Abilene Kugler

Jackie Burr Instructor

English 2010

12 April 2019

Charisma: the Effect of Leadership on Followers

Marilyn Monroe. Her perfectly lined lips and doll like hair demand attention all on their

own, but what is it that sets her apart from millions of other stunning women? Scammer and

manipulative genius Elizabeth Holmes; how can she fool the masses and develop such

unprecedented notions of security in investors. These two examples and leadership all around the

globe often have one thing in common: they are selling a specific vision. This vision becomes so

intense that it develops its own sense of gravity. A force which reels in a following of dedicated

supporters. What defines this occurrence is known as charisma. Though seemingly elusive and

intangible, in reality, the developable trait of charisma is what defines leaders, creates centripetal

movement within a congregation, and builds trust. Immense powers which charismatic leaders

hold is enough to result in both mass celebration and mass defeat. The vision which is

communicated to the following unfortunately is not always rooted in ethics. Teamwork

Definition warns that charismatic leadership can be extremely dangerous when resonating from a

self-involved, potentially even psychotically narcissistic stem (What Is Charismatic

Leadership?).

There are three levels to the engagement of followers with a leader: interest, action, and

avocation. Subjects find initial interest in a charismatic lead based on personal curiosity or need

most often, but this bond is not strong enough to have any real influence over the given

individual’s decision making process. Fully developed charisma clasps onto the initial interest or
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need and creates a vision of potential that is enticing enough to it’s audience for them to take

personal steps towards it. According to Dr. Annette, a key aspect of good leadership is the

empowerment of one’s own followers to perform above normal expectations (How Charismatic

Leaders Gain Commitment). One scholarly article discusses the dynamics of leadership in

Nigeria to understand the importance as well as the limitations of charisma. This underdeveloped

and extremely impoverished country is a gold mine for a strong leader to take root. The initial

interest of this group of followers is for very basic needs such as safety which makes them even

more susceptible to dramatic change. Many strong hero’s attempted to gain favor of the public in

heroic fashion and did so successfully. Unfortunately, these same heroes’ evolved into dictators

and no real progress was made. Promotion of four key factors was lost in these heros’ strategies,

leading to their inability to fully succeed: effectiveness, accountability, inclusion, and

participation (Eghose Osaghae). When these strategies are used, it becomes more than interest

based charismatic effect, but develops into an advocation based level which Osaghae refers to as

Institutionalized Leadership.

Empowerment of others is the centerpiece of what institutionalized leadership means.

The Journal of Organizational Behavior exemplifies just that in one of the contained studies.

After reviewing 252 managers, one overarching conclusion named in their research abstract

stated that employee’s perception of team based identity and group task performance created a

sense of empowerment, all of which was facilitated by a charismatic lead (Jay A. Conger et al).

Institutionalized leadership is a culture of encouraging others to grow into leaders themselves.

When charismatic leaders understand this and utilize it, it is incredible; without it, it is

dangerous.
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Though most often, charisma is associated with popular celebrities and incredible CEO’s,

the quality can also be attached to extremists such as Al Qaeda and Hitler. This is where

charisma proves to be something to be very careful with as it can be so dangerous and powerful.

Hitler was so successful because his audience was so vulnerable, especially after the Wall Street

crash. The people among him were literally starving but he painted a picture of salvation for

them (Laurence Rees). Such an environment which is weak and susceptible to manipulation,

becomes and easier target for dominative ruling and some cases reveal that the charismatic

aspect of leadership is not always the only cause of the change (Conger “Charismatic Leadership

in Organization” 114). Hitler’s horrific example of the power of charisma should serve as a guide

that all people should be wary and do their own thoughtful analysis of any persona so as not to

blindly fall into a charismatic trap. A clear indication of a dangerous leader is one who does not

share power in any way. As previously discussed, leaders should encourage other leaders. When

this does not occur, it is often a sign that the influencer has bad intentions, a potential need to be

worshiped or even psychotic narcissism (What is Charismatic Leadership). This narcissism often

is accompanied by an unwillingness to accept failure. Accepting a failure is one of the most

important factors in any journey to success— but it is also one of the most difficult. Failure in its

infantile state is painful, but as it matures it remolds. It becomes the shaper of futures, the

logician of decision, the architect of wisdom. Though some leaders may get away without

admitting defeat at first, eventually the losses will become too prevalent to go unnoticed and as

followers come to realize the truth, trust is broken and the leader to follower relationship will

deteriorate.

Charisma is capable of altering perspectives entirely, whether it’s consequences bring

trust or distrust, rejoice or distress, war or peace. It is so relevant to daily life and interaction that
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more than just authoritative leaders should pay close attention to it.Charisma is for everybody.

Toni Butler, director of Kensington Theatre Company and charisma expert, claims that charisma

is a developable superpower that if chosen to act upon, will change one’s own life.

She has spent a lot of time researching the different aspects of charisma but boiled it down into

nine key tips that she believes influence charismatic development the most:

“Control your attitude… Perfect your posture… Think before you talk (and speak

slowly)... Be genuine (be at ease with yourself and others)... Be a good storyteller… Be

aware of your style… Admit your mistakes (make mistakes)… Have a passion and share

it… Smile like you have a secret.” (Charisma Something You Are Born with)

Every single one of these factors is not always easy to attain, but each one is fully invested in it

dramatically alters perception of any person. Rowold and Laukamp label total commitment to a

few of these characteristics as “unconventional behavior” in their study. Their results concluded
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that not only did unconventional behavior bring a dedicated response from employees, it actually

brought profit as well (Charismatic Leadership and Objective Performance Indicators). Change

on such a large and high stakes scale is incredible and only furthers the implications that

charisma may have in day to day life. Butler articulates clearly a few of the many reasons why

charisma is so impactful in an interview. She explained teasingly that, “One. You’re gonna look

prettier,” and developed that idea showing how charisma gave it’s utilizers confidence, a genuine

feel, and even freedom.

Charisma’s influence and room for growth is unrestrained. It can be used as a tool to lead

others to success, to live a personal life that is filled with freedom and joy, and also

unfortunately, can be used as a manipulator and to the detriment of others. With the strong

impact that it carries, it should be taught and talked about, as well as handled with care. In this

world where everyone seems to feel enslaved to their own selves, teaching charisma as a

gateway to personal happiness and confidence could be life changing. Though charisma is

currently understood as a means of controlling others, the alternative and even more deep truth is

that striving towards more pure and genuine ways of charisma will give people control over

themselves more than anything else. Butler says it best in some of the final words of her

interview, “[Everyone should try to learn charisma] but i think it’s hard. It’s a life choice, not a

day choice, not a just for a second choice, because you cannot be genuinely charismatic until it

becomes second nature. Choosing to be happy has to be a part of you” (Personal Interview).

Works Cited

Butler, Toni. “Charisma: Something You are Born With or Something You Can Learn?” 2016.
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Butler, Toni. Personal Interview. 4 Apr 2019.

Conger, Jay, et al. “Charismatic Leadership and Follower Effects.” Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 2000.

Conger, Jay, et al. “Charismatic Leadership in Organizations.” Book Reviews, 1998, pg. 112-
114.

Daum, Kevin. “25 Quotes to Inspire Charisma.” Inc.com, Inc., 6 Mar 2015, Web. Accessed 10
Apr 2019.

Dr. Annette. “How charismatic leaders gain commitment to their vision and the mission of the
organization.” ckju.net, CQ Net, Web. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Erez, Amir, et al. “Stirring the Hearts of Followers: Charismatic Leadership as the Transferal of
Affect.” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 93, no. 3, 2008, pg. 602-13.

Osaghae, Eghosa E. “The limits of charismatic authority and the challenges of leadership in
Nigeria.” Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 28, no. 4, Oct 2010, pg. 407-422.

Rowald, Jens, et al. “Charismatic Leadership and Objective Performance.” Applied Psychology:
An International Review. 2009, pg. 602-621.

“What is Charismatic Leadership?” Teamworkdefinition.com, Teamwork Definition. Web.

Accessed 10 Apr 2019.