Chapter 4: Charismatic and Transformational Leadership

1. The meanings of charisma:

- Charisma:
+ Greek word: “divinely inspired gift”
+ Is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers,and extraordinary
determination differentiate them from others
+ A positive and compelling quality of a person that makes many others want to be
led by him or her.
2. Charisma: a relationship between the leader and group members:
- Key dimension: a relationship or interaction between the leader and the people being led
- Leaders work deliberately at cultivating the relationship with group members through
impression management → take steps to create a favourable, successful impression.
+ Value and pursue an interrelated set of images - trustworth, credible, morally
worthy, innovative, esteemed and powerful.
+ Assertive impression management strategies of exemplification and promotion to
secure and maintain desired identity images
- Implication: skillful actors → well beyond superficial aspects
- Possible under certain conditions:
+ Similar beliefs and acceptance and affection for the leader → Willingly obey the
leader
+ Strong desire to identify with the leader
a) The effects of charisma:
- A charismatic leader = who brings about certain outcomes to an unusually high degree
+ Group member trust in the correctness
+ Similarity of group members’ beliefs
+ Unquestioning acceptance
+ Affection
+ Willing obedience
+ Identification and emulation
+ Emotional involvement in the mission
+ Heightened goals
+ Feeling that they will be able to accomplish in the mission
→ 3 dimensions: referent power, expert power and job involvement.
3. Types of charismatic leaders
There are different ways to categorise charismatic leaders. Here are two common frameworks:
 ● Based on the source of their charisma:
○ Socialised charismatic leaders: These leaders inspire followers to achieve goals
that benefit the greater good. They focus on shared values and a collective vision.
An example of this type of leader is Nelson Mandela.
○ Personalised charismatic leaders: These leaders derive their charisma from their
own personal qualities and magnetism. They inspire devotion and loyalty in their
followers, but may use that power for their own ends. An example of this type of
leader is Fidel Castro.
○ Office-holder charismatic leaders: These leaders gain charisma from the position
they hold, rather than their own personal qualities. An example of this type of
leader is the Pope.
● Based on their leadership style:
○ Visionary leaders: These leaders have a clear vision for the future and are able to
inspire others to follow them. An example of this type of leader is Martin Luther
King, Jr.
○ Transformational leaders: These leaders are able to change the way their followers
think and behave. An example of this type of leader is Steve Jobs.
○ Servant leaders: These leaders put the needs of their followers first. An example
of this type of leader is Mother Teresa.
It's important to note that charismatic leaders can be both positive and negative forces. While
they can inspire great change, they can also be manipulative or even dangerous.
4. Characteristics of charismatic leaders:
- Charismatic leaders are indeed captivating and inspiring. They possess certain
characteristics that make them stand out and influence others. These characteristics
include:
● Visionary: Charismatic leaders offer an exciting image of where the organization
is headed and how to get there. They paint a vivid picture of the future and inspire
others to follow their vision.
● Masterful Communication Skills: Charismatic leaders are skilled in using colorful
language, exciting metaphors, and analogies to inspire and motivate others. They
are also adept at expressing their feelings openly, which adds to their charisma.
● Trust and Capability: Charismatic leaders inspire trust in their constituents by
demonstrating their integrity and commitment to the organization's vision. They
also make group members feel capable by enabling them to achieve success on
relatively easy projects and then giving them more demanding assignments.
 ● Energy and Action Orientation: Charismatic leaders are energetic and serve as
role models for getting things done on time. They are also entrepreneurial,
seeking opportunities to accomplish activities others have never done before.
● Emotional Expressiveness: Charismatic leaders express their feelings openly,
which adds to their charisma. They are also emotionally expressive, using warm
gestures and frequent (nonsexual) touching of group members.
● Risk-Taking: Charismatic leaders romanticize risk and enjoy taking risks. They
are great opportunists and inspire others by formulating unusual strategies to
achieve important goals.
● Self-Promoting Personality: Charismatic leaders often toot their own horn and
allow others to know how important they are. They also use unconventional
strategies to achieve success.
● Challenging, Prodding, and Poke: Charismatic leaders challenge, prod, and poke
their constituents, testing their courage and self-confidence.
● Dramatic and Unique: Being dramatic and unique in significant, positive ways is
a major contributor to charisma. Charismatic leaders are often self-confident and
enthusiastic, inspiring others to follow their vision.
These combined characteristics make charismatic leaders captivating and influential, inspiring
their followers to achieve great things.

5. The vision component of charismatic leadership:

A major buzzword in leadership and management is vision, the ability to imagine different and
better conditions and the ways to achieve them. An effective leader is supposed to have a vision,
whereas an ineffective leader either lacks a vision or has an unclear one. A vision is considered
an important part of strategy implementation and bringing about change.
Several sample vision statement are as follows:
● Apple computer: “We don't want to make computers. We want to change the world
● CNN: To create the first truly global information company, the global network of record,
seen in every nation on the planet, and broadcast in most major language
Vision linked to charisma. Charismatic leaders inspire others with their vision.
To create a vision, obtain as much information from as many of the following sources as
necessary
● Your own intuition about developments in your field, the market you serve, demographic
trends in your region, and the preferences of your constituents
● The work of futurist as it relates to your type of work
● A group discussion of what it takes to delight the people your group serves
 ● Annual reports, management books, and business magazines to uncover the type of vision
statement formulated by others
● Group members and friends; speak to them individually and collectively to learn of their
hopes and dreams for the future
● You might get some ideas for matching your unit’s vision with that of the organisation
Vision can be inspiring, but they need to be supported by managers who are strong at
implementation. Some observers make the distinction between a visionary and hands-on
executive.

6. The communication style of charismatic leaders:

A charismatic leader communicates openly with group members and creates a comfortable
communication climate in which her/his visions, goals, and directives can be shown in a
colourful, imaginative, and expressive manner. Charismatic leaders should direct the members’
attention to critical issues in a way that piques the members’ interest. Here are two aspects of the
communication style of the aforementioned style of leaders: management by inspiration and
management by anecdote.
A. Management by inspiration.
A highly emotional message is the key to inspire others.
a. Metaphors and analogies.
A well-chosen analogy or metaphor which can be understood almost instantly is always a
good option to boost the team members’ morale.
b. Gearing language to different audiences.
Inspiring metaphors and analogies still need a right level of language as constituents vary
widely in verbal sophistication. Beside the word using technique, the language style also helps
leaders create appealing messages and make a special positive response.
B. Management by anecdote.
This is the technique of explaining examples related to critical issues which can inspire and
instruct team members, and contribute to the building of a strong company culture. Anecdotal
story illustrates to everyone who hears it and contributes to team success.

7. The development of charisma

By developing some of the traits, characteristics, and behaviour of charismatic people, a
person can increase his or her charisma

Create visions for others

 A vision uplifts and attracts others. The visionary person looks beyond the immediate
future to create an image of what the organisation or unit thereof is capable of becoming. A
vision thus sees beyond present realities.

Be enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic

A major behaviour pattern of charismatic people is their combination of enthusiasm,

optimism, and high energy. Elevating your energy level takes considerable work, but here are a
few feasible suggestions.

1. Get ample rest at night, and sneak in a 15-min nap during the day when possible. Take a
shower to come up shiny

2. Exercise every day for at least 10 minutes, including walking. No excuse.

3. Switch to a healthy, enhancing diet

4. Keep an eyes on your “to do” list

An action orientation contributes to being enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic

Be persistent

Closely related to the high energy level of charismatics is their almost-never-accept-no

attitude. If an idea or a product will not work, the sensible charismatic absorbs the loss and
moves in another more profitable direction.

Remember names of people.

A consistent behaviour of charismatic leaders is remembering the names of people with

whom they have infrequent contact. The personal interest charismatic leaders take in their work
associates contributes to their ability to remember the names of so many people. Many systems
and gimmicks are available for remembering names, such as making an association between the
person’s name and a visual image.

Make an impressive appearance

By creating a polished appearance, a person can make slight gains in projecting a

charismatic image. Sometimes appearance is about creating a bond with your followers
In attempting to enhance your charisma through appearance, it is necessary to analyse your work
environment to assess what type of appearance will impress

Be candid

Charismatic people, especially effective leaders, are remarkable candid with people.
Charismatic people speak directly rather than indirectly, so that people know where they stand.

Display an in-your-face attitude

The preferred route to being perceived as charismatic is to be a positive, warm, and

humanistic person. An in-your-face attitude may bring you the same devoted supporters,
although it will also bring you many detractors. The tough attitude is attractive to people who
themselves would like to be mean and aggressive.

8. Transformational leadership:
The focus of transformational leadership is on what the leader accomplishes, rather than on
the leader's personal characteristics and his or her relationship with group members. Leadership
can take two forms:
● Transactional leadership is characterised by leaders and followers being in an exchange
relationship.
● Transformational leadership: Appealing to followers' values and their sense of higher
purpose. Transformational leaders articulate the problems in the current system and have
a compelling vision of what a new society or organisation could be.

a) How transformation takes place:

Leaders often encounter the need to transform organisations from low performance to
acceptable performance, or from acceptable performance to high performance.
● Raising people’s awareness.
● Helping people look beyond self-interest.
● Helping people search for self-fulfilment.
● Helping people understand the need for change.
● Investing managers with a sense of urgency.
● Committing to greatness.
● Adopting a long-range perspective and at the same time observing organisational issues
from a broad rather than a narrow perspective.
 b) Four key qualities of transformational leaders
Closely linked to charisma, transformational leaders practise inspirational leadership. They
provide intellectual stimulation by encouraging group members to examine old problems or
methods in new ways. Transformational leaders demonstrate individualised consideration by
giving personal attention to group members. Furthermore, it is not always easy to determine
whether a given leader can be accurately described as transformational.

c) The impact of transformational and charismatic leadership on performance

● Business unit performance: Data analysis revealed that leaders who displayed more
individualised consideration, intellectual stimulation, and charisma positively contributed
to business unit performance.
● Charismatic leader behaviour in military units: Two specific aspects of charismatic
behaviour by leaders were related to higher performance as perceived by their superiors.
As a leader, it pays to emphasise ideology and be a positive role model.

9. Concerns about charismatic leadership:

a) Challenges to the validity of charismatic leadership
- Charisma is difficult to define and measure, much like ‘high quality’. It’s
recognizable but not easily quantifiable.
- Leaders often evoke strong opinions; they are either highly admired or greatly
disliked, with few neutral stances. Bill Gates exemplifies this polarity.
- Charisma may not be essential for effective leadership. Bennis and Nanus found
that leaders’ success, rather than their charisma, could lead to them being
perceived as charismatic.
- The leaders studied by Bennis and Nanus varied widely in appearance,
personality, and style, suggesting that these factors do not distinguish leaders from
followers.
- Bennis and Nanus proposed that successful leadership might lead to the
attribution of charisma, rather than charisma leading to successful leadership.

b) The dark side of charismatic leadership

- Charisma can be misused for evil purposes, as charismatic leaders might

promise utopian outcomes to justify unethical actions.
 - Robert Tucker highlighted the potential dangers of charismatic political leaders
who can mesmerise followers into accepting extreme measures for the sake of an
idealised end.
- Recent observations suggest some charismatic leaders guide their organisations
towards illegal and immoral activities, exploiting their referent power.
- A significant issue with some charismatic leaders is their disregard for social
responsibility, which can lead to detrimental outcomes for society.
- Jim Jones is an example of the extreme negative potential of charismatic
leadership.
- When used ethically, charisma can amplify a leader’s impact on social
responsibility, inspiring others within the organisation to follow suit.
- Leaders lacking charisma still bear the responsibility to act in socially
responsible ways and can serve as positive role models.

c) Breakthrough leadership
- Breakthrough leadership is defined as leadership that inspires individuals to
engage in continuous learning, thereby building confidence, competence, and
resulting in a committed and inspired workforce.
- It shares similarities with transformational leadership, focusing on change and
the impact of leaders’ behaviour on followers’ behaviour and attributes.
- Breakthrough leaders create an environment that promotes both individual and
group learning.
- Organisational changes are achieved through personal development and changes
within the people in the organization.
- Breakthrough leaders integrate and share their life-acquired skills, knowledge,
and values throughout the organisation for the collective benefit.