The Importance of a Charismatic Leader

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The role of the charismatic leader in the emergence of a new society has been frequently commented on from within the studies of sociology and world leadership. The charismatic leader is unique, in the sense that the authority that the leader possesses is largely based on the individual traits of the leader, and his or her ability to maintain support from followers. As a result, the charisma of a leader is many times not enough to ensure a long lasting stabilized society. Max Weber has suggested in his study of leadership and authority, a process known as the routinization of charisma must take place in order for a movement or message to continue. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of the routinization of charisma and demonstrate how Weber’s concept while vastly important in the understanding of authority and leadership, is to rigid in relation to the potential ends for charisma. By examining the emergence of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and the Soviet Union, it will be shown that charisma can be repurposed to support an individual. While the transfer of power from Lenin and Stalin can be in part understood within Weber’s concept of charisma, it serves to demonstrate how the routinization of charisma can lead to the development of manufactured charisma and a new charismatic leader.
Because charismatic authority is largely dependent on the validation of others and the time and place of a given society, the influence of charisma in this form is by its very nature only temporary. In Weber’s words, “ It cannot remain stable, but becomes either traditionalized or rationalized or a combination of both.” Therefore, Weber argues that in order for the movement based on charismatic authority to continue in perpetuity, t...

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...uthority and the routinization of charisma. While Weber’s teachings are applicable in many scenarios, the Soviet Union during the time of Lenin and Stalin’s leadership demonstrate that it is not applicable to every scenario. What occurred with regards to Lenin and Stalin, goes completely against what Weber believed were possible ends for charismatic authority. Stalin manipulated and twisted Lenin’s charisma for his own gains until he was able to establish his own charismatic authority. As a result, the Soviet Union went through a transformation that saw the rise of a more ruthless and power hungry leader. This ultimately goes to show that a society first founded on a leader’s charisma can continue long after the leader’s death and without his charisma being used to establish legal-rational or traditional authority, even if this society experiences important changes.

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