Discover the advantages and disadvantages of being a charismatic leader,
along with the leadership qualities that can round out this leadership style
A charismatic leader is a leader whose followers are attracted to his or her personality and charm.
People who use this leadership style excel at working a room.
They are masters at inspiring others to feel that they, (the leader), are critical to the 'cause' being successful. These magnetic leaders do this through actions such as:
Their approach when leading teams is to have their enthusiasm rub off on their team members by being extremely positive and energetic. Teams do, however, need more than just a charming leader to keep them sustainable over the long term.
Charismatic leaders are like puppies .... highly irresistible!
Richard Branson of Virgin, and Southwest's Herb Kelleher, are both examples of leaders who are 'hero' worshiped by their team members.
The potential downside for these leaders is that people have put such faith in their leadership (and not the company as a whole) that they begin to believe that without him or her the company's infrastructure might break down.
As we have seen with Steve Job's passing in 2011 (and his firing from Apple in the mid-80s), organization's can survive the departure of even the most charismatic of leaders. Let's just hope, that Steve's legacy, (this time), is he has left behind an organization that thrives, not just survives, after he's gone.
Charismatic leadership is certainly a dynamic and empowering form of leadership and combined with other styles of leadership, it creates a powerful force that gives people the enthusiasm and self-management to achieve great results.
Do you work with a charismatic leader? Or maybe you've watched, with fascination, the antics of a high profile leader? Use the comments box below, and let me know what you have found to be the best of, or worst of being caught up in the world of these types of men and women.
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