How to be an effective charismatic leader: lessons for leadership development

摘要

Gardner and Avolio (1998) have claimed that charismatic leadership is positively related to organizational outcomes. Collective agreement with the leader's values and vision, arising in part from voluntary and involuntary turnover of persons with incongruent values, creates a heightened level of internal cohesion and value congruence. Studies have shown that there is, indeed, a positive relationship between charismatic/transformational leadership and the performance of the organization. The establishment of a shared vision and a collective identity coupled with an elevated effort and strong follower commitment to the leader can produce greater internal cohesion, value congruence, and performance potential. Many leaders want to be charismatic because charismatic leaders are regarded as effective and influential. They have personal power, which is not a typical feature of an "ordinary" leader. However, there seems to be a "dark side" to charisma as well, often related to communicative problems between the leader and his/her followers. Charismatic leadership may allow more space for persuasion and manipulation between the leader and the led, thereby giving rise to ethical considerations. The relationship is interactive by nature: although the charismatic leader exerts power over his/her followers, these also have power over the leader. The ethics of the charismatic leader has to do with how, in what manner, he/she uses power. The aims and vehicles of leadership are the main criteria for evaluating the ethical behavior of the charismatic leader.