CHAPTER THREE

Charismatic and
Transformational
Leadership
 Learning Objectives

• Achieve a comprehensive understanding of

the meaning and types of charismatic
leadership.
• Describe many of the traits and behaviors of
charismatic leaders.
• Explain the visionary component of
charismatic leadership.
• Explain the communication style of
charismatic leaders.

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 Learning Objectives

• Have an action plan for developing your

charisma.
• Explain the nature of transformational
leadership.
• Describe the concerns about charismatic
leadership from the scientific and moral
standpoint.

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 Charisma Defined

• Charisma has been defined various ways

• Charisma is a Greek word meaning
“divinely inspired gift”
• In leadership, charisma is a special quality
of leaders whose purposes, powers, and
extraordinary determination differentiate
them from others

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 Charisma: A Relationship

• Key to charismatic leadership is the

interaction between leader and group
members
• Charismatic qualities must be attributed to
the leader by group members
• Charismatic leaders use impression
management to cultivate their relationships
with group members

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 The Effects of Charisma

• Group members
– trust the leader’s beliefs
– have beliefs similar to those of the leader
– accept the leader unquestioningly
– have affection for the leader
– willingly obey the leader
– identify with and attempt to emulate the leader

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 The Effects of Charisma

• Group members
– have emotional involvement in the mission
– have heightened goals
– feel that they will be able to accomplish, or to
contribute to the accomplishment of the
mission

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 Halpert’s Dimensions of Charisma

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 Types of Charismatic
Leaders
• Socialized charismatics restrain the use of
power to benefit others
• Personalized charismatics exercise few
restraints on power to serve their own
interests

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 Types of Charismatic
Leaders
• Office-holder charismatics attain their
charisma from the position they hold
• Personal charismatics gain esteem from
others’ faith in them as people
• Divine charismatics are endowed with a gift
of divine grace

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 Characteristics

• Visionary • Emotional
• Masterful expressiveness and
communication skills warmth
• Ability to inspire trust • Romanticize risk
• Able to make group • Unconventional
members feel capable strategies
• Energy and action • Self-promoting
orientation personality
• Dramatic and unique

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 Vision in Charismatic
Leadership
• Vision is the ability to imagine different and
better conditions and ways to achieve them
• A vision is a lofty, long-term goal
• Charismatic leaders inspire others with their
vision

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 Communication

• Management by Inspiration
– Using metaphors and analogies to appeal to the
intellect, imagination, and values of group
members
– Gearing language to different audiences
• Management by Anecdote
– Inspiring and instructing team members by
telling fascinating stories

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 Developing Charisma

• Create visions for others

• Be enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic
• Be sensibly persistent
• Remember names of people
• Make an impressive appearance
• Be candid
• Display an in-your-face attitude

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 Transformational Leadership

• The transformational leader helps bring

about major, positive changes
• Transformational leaders move group
members beyond their self-interests for the
good of the group, organization, or society

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 How Transformations Take Place

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 Attributes of
Transformational Leaders
• Charismatic • Provide supportive
• Create a vision leadership
• Encourage the • Practice empowerment
personal development • Innovative thinking
of their staff • Lead by example

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 Concerns About
Charismatic Leadership
• According to the concept of leadership
polarity, leaders are often either revered or
vastly unpopular
• Charisma may not be necessary for
leadership effectiveness
• Charismatic leadership has a dark side
• Some charismatic and transformational
leaders neglect their social responsibility

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 Summary

• Charisma is a special quality of some

leaders that differentiates them from others
• Charismatic leaders often contribute to
group members’ attributions of their
charismatic qualities through impression
management
• The effects of charismatic leadership can be
organized into three dimensions: referent
power, expert power, and job involvement

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 Summary

• There are five types of charismatic leaders:

socialized, personalized, office-holder,
personal, and divine
• Charismatic and transformational leaders
are able to articulate a vision in such a way
as to inspire others
• Charisma can be developed
• There may be a dark side to charismatic
leadership

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