Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Features of an effective team
Types of charismatic leadership
Essay on charismatic leadership style
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Introduction
Many great leaders have one thing in common and that is charisma. Charismatic leaders are those that have the capability to inspire and encourage people to do more than they would normally do, despite obstacles and personal sacrifice. (Daft, R.L, pg. 364) Charisma is what provokes energy and commitment out of its followers. These leaders possess the power to motivate their followers to do almost anything. They create an atmosphere of change and express an ideal vision of a better future. The most common characteristics of the charismatic leader involve maturity, communication, humility, and inspiration. These unique qualities impact their followers and conduct themselves in such a way that allows for remarkable results. Then one wonders, is charisma something you are born with? And if not, is it possible for it to be developed or even trained through life experiences?
A charismatic leader is one whose followers are drawn to his or her personality and magnetism. They have extraordinary qualities and are described as almost god-like to those that follow them and look up to them. With being a team leader, their whole purpose is to try and allow for their passion and enthusiasm to rub off on their team members by portraying a positive and energetic attitude. Charisma stems from participating in something you truly have a passion for, something that undoubtedly sparks your interest. Charismatic leaders seem to become apparent in troubled times, whether it being within personal relationships or within an organization, simply because an inspiring personality helps to reduce any stress or anxiety amongst its followers. Charismatic leaders strongly appeal to the values and morals of their followers and the psychological ...
... middle of paper ...
...cessful.
References
• Daft, R. L. (2008). The Leadership Experience (5e). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning
• Palshikar, K. (N.d) Charismatic Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.unc.edu/~ketan/documents/Charismatic%20Leadership.pdf
• Roberts, C. (N.d) Characteristics of a Charismatic Leader. Retrieved from http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/characteristics-charismatic-leader-7990.html
• Charismatic Leadership. Is it a blessing or a curse? Makeadentleadership.com, Retrieved on 20 Mar 2014. Retrieved from www.makeadentleadership.com/charismatic-leadership.html
• Riggio, R.E. (2012) What is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership? Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201210/what-is-charisma-and-charismatic-leadership
• Chapman, A. (2012) Charisma. Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com/charisma.htm
Charisma is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as “a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure” (Merriam-Webster Online). Throughout history successful public speaking is a dominant trait for influential historical figures: persuasive speakers use charisma and charm to capture their audience and spark a difference in society. Political figures use charisma in order to campaign and promote their own political ambitions. Every fourth year a politician is elected President of the United States. Upon taking office, that politician, recites an Inaugural Address addressing his/her plans for the presidency. On Tuesday January 20th 1981, Ronald Reagan, remembered in history as the Great Communicator, recited his highly influential inaugural address on the West Front of the Capitol. Using his charismatic abilities Ronald Reagan recited an influential inaugural address that connected to the average American person. His inaugural address highlighted his own political beliefs and caused the Republican Party to regain its former strength.
Charismatic leaders are individuals who seem to inspire others. There are all types of charismatic leaders; some people may deem what they do as evil and others may hold a different opinion. There are some leaders that are seen as saviors, coming along at the right moment when all hope is lost. There are other leaders that people slander their names with the word ‘Murder’. In the end it all depends on which side a follower is on. Jim Jones, Martin Luther King Jr. , and Gandhi were some of the most remember charismatic leaders in history. though very different in what they preach. Then there is the most iconic charismatic leader of all and he goes by many names: Allah, the Almighty, but many know him as Jesus.
Cult leaders are obviously central to the function of cults. The leaders, although different to every group, often share similar characteristics. Charisma is one of the main characteristics used to describe the leaders of cults. Such leaders tend to be characterized as charismatic (Eister, 1972; Schwartz & Kaslow, 2001; Tourish & Vatcha, 2005). The charisma found amongst cult leaders indicates that they are prone to:
Pertaining to my future career I would want to become a transformational leader by empowering the interdisciplinary team as well as patient’s to meet their goals. Essential behaviours and attributes that a transformational leader should include the four principles charisma or ideal influences, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individual consideration (Ruggieri, 2015; Judge & Piccolo, 2004). Speaking to the four principles of transformational leadership charisma or ideal influences that I could display to identify myself to the team as a leader could include taking a stand and promoting new ideas to the group while also acknowledging followers needs at an emotional level (Judge & Piccolo, 2004). Charismatic leaders want
“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”. The idea of the quote can be explained by Charismatic Leadership that founded by Max Weber in the 1920’s. Sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic leadership as individuals who possess “a gift of grace”. Charismatic leaders have strong visionary qualities and the ability to engage others in action. Furthermore, he also defines charismatic leaders are like hero or people with extraordinary qualities (12Manage, 2016). Weber (1947) stated that leaders with high charisma often be viewed as they have endowed with exceptional powers.
The leadership is a result of a combination of traits, with special emphasis on the personal qualities of the leader, which he should possess certain personality traits that would be special facilitators in leadership performance. This theory shows that leaders are born as such, there is no likelihood of 'making' them later with personal development techniques.
As a growing debate, the question at hand is whether great leaders are born with specific leadership traits, or if one can be taught certain traits over time. According to (Wikipedia.com) the approach of listing leadership qualities, often termed "trait theory of leadership", assumes certain traits or characteristics will tend to lead to effective leadership. I believe that leadership traits such as honest, competent, initiative, inspiring, hardworking, intelligent, and the ability to lead the masses, are some of the leadership traits one should possess. Within this paper, I will examine the overall concept of leadership traits, while observing the traits that were, or can be associated with successful leaders.
Perhaps the most important qualities of a leader are passion and motivation. Especially when leading a group for a particular cause, a leader must be personally attached to that cause. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, is a legendary leader because he fought for a cause that directly affected him. had he not been pushing for a personal reason, his actions would not have been as passionate. This would have caused a lack in motivation, another essential leadership quality. A leader faces many roadblocks and opposition and thus, must be motivated to continue fighting and leading. A leader’s attitude and opinions are valued by the group and therefore, if a leader is motivated, the group will be, too. The continued actions and successes, no matter how small, which move the group closer to its goal also help its motivation and drive.
To inspire and influence others, a leader must have many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn, states, “ the challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” (2010) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a singular goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, one will feel like they are trying to herd cats rather than leading.
Is based on perception and how people perceive a leader and how well the person is able to communicate and inspire others will greatly affect how successful they can become. For example, a principal in a school has to have a certain amount of charisma, being able to communicate to the staff, parents, and student to about the vision of school. Much like a politician, the principal has to exude confidence in their vision but also must open up to others so that can align themselves with their followers. The principal can reward their followers by mentoring, training, and sharing leadership roles so that their followers can grow and becomes administrators
Charismatic Power – The ability to influence followers based on the leaders personality. Politicians often use this kind of power to get follower’s to support them.
According to McLaurin & Al Amri (2008) charismatic leaders can be defined as those who have a high self confidence, a clear vision, engage in unconventional behavior and action as a change agent, and while remaining realistic about environmental constraints. When you hear the names President Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Adolf Hitler or Larry Ellison; whether or not one can categorize their leadership style, most people are familiar with the effect that these leaders have had on society or business. These leaders have demonstrated qualities that have caused them to be known as “charismatic leaders.”
Another aspect of leadership includes leadership traits such as being influential and inspirational. There also different contexts of leadership, e.g, leading oneself, leading other individuals, leading groups, leading organizations. Some traits that are often associated with being an effective leader include a measure of intelligence, high energy, self confidence, dominance, and a need for achievement. An effective, charismatic leader must lead by example. That leader must be able to know what is going on, the job or task that is being accomplished, and be able to lead the group into performing the task at hand successfully.
Dubrin, A. J. (2007). Charismatic and transformational leadership. In Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (5th ed., pp. 83-98). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
“The important word there is inspire. The key difference between managers and leaders is that managers tell people what to do, while leaders inspire them to do it. Inspiration comes from three things: clarity of one’s vision, courage of their conviction and the ability to effectively communicate both of those things”