TUBA

Charismatic leadership

Definition

The charismatic leadership style relies on the charm and persuasiveness of the leader.
Charismatic leaders are driven by their convictions and commitment to their cause.

Charismatic leadership is the combination of charm and personal magnetism that contribute
to a remarkable ability to get other people to endorse their vision and promote it passionately.

Explanation

The word “charisma” is derived from the Greek word “kharisma,” meaning “favour or divine
gift.” It has come to refer to a specific set of personal traits that have profound effects on
other individuals. Charismatic Leadership focuses on the leaders themselves. It’s the ability
to communicate, influence, and be comfortable in their own skin. Charisma is a process that
requires transforming visions into a reality. Charismatic leaders use their powerful
personality and excellent communication skills to persuade employees and keep them
engaged during crises.

Type of Charismatic leadership

Dubrin, classified Charismatic leaders into 5 types:

1. Socialized Charismatics:

A socialized charismatic leader is a leader who uses power only for the benefit of others,
rather than using it for private gains. Socialized charismatic leaders are thought to play an
ethical leadership role. The socialized charismatic formulates and pursues goals that fulfill
the needs of group members and provide intellectual stimulation to them. Followers of
socialized charismatics are autonomous, empowered, and responsible.
2. Personalized Charismatics:

Personalized charismatics are leaders who use the powers to a certain extent for personal
gains, to serve their own interests. Such leaders impose self-serving goals and they offer
support to group members only when it facilitates their own goals. Followers of this type of
leader are typically obedient, submissive, and dependent.

3. Office-holder Charismatics:

The office-holder charismatic leaders are powerful as along as they occupy the office. Once
they resign, they lose their charisma.For this type of leader, charismatic leadership is more
about the office occupied by him/her rather than his/her personal characteristics.

4. Personal Charismatics:

A leader with this quality often gains very high esteem through the extent to which others
have faith in them. Personal charisma is when someone has very high amounts of
sophisticated social and emotional skills. Irrespective of the high or low status held by this
leader, the personal charismatics are able to influence the followers, through their right traits,
behaviors, and characteristics.

5. Divine Charismatics:

Finally the divine charismatic leaders are the ones where people think that they are god
sent.they are considered as magnetic savior, who would arise to lead people through a crisis.

Stages of Charismatic Leadership

Jay conger(1989)proposed the following four stage model of charismatic leadership

Stage One-formulating vision

Detecting unexploited opportunities and deficiencies in the present situation and

Formulating an idealized strategic vision
Stage Two- Communicating the vision

The second stage is the communication of vision by using the motivational and persuasive
arguments

Stage Three-building the trust and commitment

Building trust through technical expertise, personal risk-taking, self-sacrifice, and

unconventional behaviorur

Stage Four- achieving the vision

Demonstrating the means to achieve the vision through role modelling, empowerment,&
unconventional tactics

Characteristic of Charismatic Leadership

The following are some of the most prominent characteristics of charismatic leadership.

1. Communication

Charismatic leaders have extraordinary skills in communication. This helps to motivate

employees through tough times and also help them stay grounded when things are good. The
leaders are equally comfortable communicating one-to-one or in a group setting.

2. Maturity

Though they have a very powerful personality, a charismatic leader also has maturity and
character. They behave in a mature and responsible manner on all occasions.

3. Humility

Charismatic leaders also have a sense of humility. They place a lot of value on each
employee, and have the ability to truly listen to their concerns.

4. Listening skills

Charismatic leaders are extremely good listeners. When they listen to you, they don’t look
distracted. A charismatic leader pays attention to what is being said, and listens with interest.
They are engaged in the conversation and act with empathy.
5. Self-monitoring

One of the attributes of charismatic leaders is that they often tend to watch themselves. They
are aware of their powerful personality.

5. Self-improvement

A charismatic leader understands that he has certain qualities that make him different from
others, and that these are the qualities that get him attention and make him charismatic. So he
also knows how important it is to continually improve himself.

6.Confidence

Without a doubt, every charismatic leader holds an enormous confidence level to influence
and persuade a large audience. They know themselves in and out and do not try to become
somebody else. They are original and comfortable being who they are.

7.Body Language

One thing that you’d prominently notice in a charismatic leader is their positive body
language. They are warm, open, and full of joy with their appearance. They are usually
making eye contact while talking to people and always greet people with a smile.

8.Managing Social Situations

These leaders are adaptable and have the ability to make others feel
comfortable regardless of the social situation.

9.Creativity and Innovation

Charismatic leadership also see a need to treat every challenge as an opportunity to make
things better. They focus on solutions instead of problems, and consistent improvement..

Charismatic leadership style requirements

 Sensitivity to their environment and the needs of their employees or followers

 Articulate and visionary
 Inclined toward personal risk taking
  Adept at using unconventional behavior
Charismatic leadership Pros:
 Charismatic leaders inspire people to work together for a common cause
 Charismatic leaders motivate and inspire the workforce.
 Encourages the importance of collaboration, and teamwork
 It involves good listening skills; hence employee queries do not go unheard.
 Creates a sense of positive change
Charismatic leadership cons
 Leaders may develop tunnel vision or arrogance, undoing their previous good
deeds
 Organizations can become dependent on charismatic leaders and may suffer if
he or she retires, leaves the company, or dies suddenly
 Charismatic leaders sometimes become unresponsive to their subordinates or
constituents
 These leaders may not learn from their mistakes, compounding them
 Charismatic leaders may believe they are above the law, committing financial or
ethical violations
 Charismatic leaders might display narcissism and shift the focus from their
people to themselves.
Benefits of charismatic leadership

 Charismatic leaders work towards a quality of life.

 They seem to make life better for every individual working in an organization.

 They build courage for conviction.

 They stand up for people who have different opinions about society and the
organization.

 Charismatic leaders fill the communication gaps between the organization and the
employees.

Charismatic leadership quotations

 Mother Teresa: "Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the
beginning of love."
 Martin Luther King: "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…every
step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless
exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."
 Ronald Reagan: "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."
 Winston Churchill: "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also
what it takes to sit down and listen."