1. CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
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2. Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
Describe the behaviors that charismatic leaders use to influence followers.
Explain why charismatic leaders can have such strong effects on followers.
Describe examples of effective and ineffective charismatic leadership.
Describe several personal traits, skills, and power sources of effective charismatic leaders.
Describe the major favorable effects of charismatic leadership.
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3. Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
Explain the risks that some charismatic leaders can create for followers.
Identify situations in which charismatic leadership is especially effective.
Identify situations in which charismatic leadership may not be needed.
Explain how leaders can modify situations to make charismatic leadership more effective.
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4. Important Leader Behaviors of Charismatic Leaders
Makes inspirational
speeches
Advocates moral
mission and
vision
Builds own image
in followers’ eyes
Important Leader
Behaviors of
Charismatic Leaders
Takes risks to
achieve mission
Uses frame
alignment to
guide followers
Role models behavior
for followers with
high expectations &
confidence
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5. The Qualities of Ethical and Unethical Charismatic Leaders and their Effects on Followers
KEY CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIORS
Uses power to serve others
Aligns vision with followers’ needs and aspirations
Considers and learns from criticism
Stimulates followers to think independently and to question the leader’s views
Uses open, two-way communication
Coaches and develops followers; shares recognition with followers
Relies on internal moral standards to satisfy organizational and societal interests
Uses power for personal gain or impact
Promotes own personal vision
Censures critical or opposing views
Demands own decisions be accepted without question
Uses one-way communication
Is insensitive to followers’ needs
Relies on convenient external moral standards to satisfy self-interests
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6. The Qualities of Ethical and Unethical Charismatic Leaders and their Effects on Followers (cont.)
Select and produce obedient, dependent, and compliant followers
Use crises to solidify their own power base, to minimize dissent, and to increase dependence of followers
MAJOR IMPACTS ON FOLLOWERS
Develop followers’ ability to lead themselves
Use crises as learning experiences, to develop a sense of purpose in the mission and vision, and to emphasize the leader’s intention to do right
Avoid the trappings of success, rather shares credit with followers and stays humble
Success brings delusions on invincibility and greatness; and extreme emphasis on image management
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7. Key Skills, Characteristics Charismatic Leadership
Key Skills, Characteristics, and Sources of Power for Charismatic Leadership
Self-confidence &
self-assurance
Assertive, dynamic,
outgoing & forceful
Need for power &
low authoritarianism
Key Skills, Characteristics
& Sources of Power for
Charismatic Leadership
Communication &
rhetorical skills
Legitimate
power
Referent power
Expert power
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8. Effects of Charismatic Leadership on Followers
High emotional
involvement &
attachment to the leader
High esteem, trust,
acceptance & loyalty
to the leader
High satisfaction with
the leader, work &
organization
High self-esteem,
self-assurance, &
experienced
meaningfulness
of work
Traits, Skills and Sources
of Power that Help a
Leader Effectively Use
Rewards and Punishments
Low stress level &
low job burnout
High organizational
commitment
Possible hatred of leader
& physical or financial
Destruction of followers
High individual &
group performance
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9. Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders are said to influence followers to adopt new values and visions, and transcend personal goals and interests for achievement of collective goals
Transformational leadership consists of four components
1. Idealized influence
2. Inspirational motivation
3. Intellectual stimulation
4. Individualized consideration
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10. Transformational Leadership
Charismatic leadership and transformational leadership are frequently viewed as interchangeable.
Both include many similar behaviors such as developing and articulating an inspirational vision, advocating a moral mission that reflects followers’ values and needs, arousing follower emotions to identify with the leader and the mission, role modeling, frame alignment, and inducing extra effort from followers to achieve high levels of performance.
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11. Transformational Leadership
Followers are more aware of the importance of task outcomes, and they may transcend their self-interest for achievement of group interests, have higher self-confidence, and exert more effort for task performance.
Transactional leadership
Involves an exchange relationship, in which followers exert effort for the purpose of getting contractual benefits in return from the leader and/or the group.
Transformational and transactional leadership are not mutually exclusive
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12. Enhancers of Charismatic Leadership
FOLLOWER
CHARACTERISTICS
TASK
CHARACTERISTICS
Followers’ work tasks have a moral element
Followers’ tasks may cause major change in how people think and do things
Distress, anxiety, isolation, or extreme uncertainty
Years of schooling*
Rank*
Professionalism*
ENHANCERS OF
CHARISMATIC
LEADERSHIP
ORGANIZATIONAL & LEADER
CHARACTERISTICS
* These enhancers may vary depending on followers’ culture
Crisis or major social change
Leader’s high status, rank, experience & expertise
Formal plans, goals, and procedures that support the leader’s mission
Organizational history of charisma
New entrepreneurial organization
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13. Neutralizers of Charismatic Leadership
Although several writers have made interesting predictions, the research is very sparse on possible neutralizers of charismatic leadership. At this time, no research supports the suggestion that situational or follower characteristics can reliably neutralize the impacts of charismatic leadership.
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14. Substitutes for Charismatic Leadership
FOLLOWER
CHARACTERISTICS
TASK
CHARACTERISTICS
Age
Years of work experience
Intrinsic task satisfaction
Follower self-confidence and strong belief in human equality
SUBSTITUTES
FOR
CHARISMATIC
LEADERSHIP
None found
GROUP & LEADER
CHARACTERISTICS
Formal procedures such as group bonus plans, group goals, consensus decision making, and peer review processes
High value placed on independence and self-management
High leader expertise at follower’s task
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15. Process Model of Charismatic Leadership
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
INCREASING LEADER
EFFECTIVENESS
Enhancers
Crisis or extreme uncertainty
Follower distress, anxiety, isolation, helplessness, low self-esteem
Organizational history of charisma
Creative and/or inherently satisfying work task
High leader rank, status, or expertise
Educated and professional followers
Formal plans, goals, and procedures that support leader’s mission
New entrepreneurial organization
Substitutes
High leader rank and expertise
Older experienced followers
Formal plans, goals and procedures that replace the leader’s mission
Consensus decision making or self-management
CHARISMATIC LEADER BEHAVIORS
Advocates moral mission and vision
Uses inspirational rhetoric
Builds own image in followers’ eyes
Models behavior for followers with high expectations & confidence
Takes risks to achieve mission
Uses frame alignment to guide follower behavior
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
DECREASING LEADER
EFFECTIVENESS
Neutralizers
None found so far
FOLLOWER/GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS
Emotional involvement & attachment to the leader
High esteem, trust, acceptance & loyalty to the leader
High self-esteem, self-assurance & experienced meaningfulness of work
Satisfaction with the leader, work & organization
Organizational commitment
Low stress level
Possible hatred of the leader
FOLLOWER BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOMES
High follower performance *
High group or departmental * performance
Low job burnout
Possible attacks on the leader
Possible physical or financial destruction of followers
* These psychological reactions and outcomes have shown the strongest improvement from leader’s charismatic behaviors.
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16. Assessing the Dynamics of Charismatic Leadership
In diagnosing situations, charismatic leaders look for current and future culture shocks or crises that create anxiety and distress in followers.
When these follower and environmental factors are present, a leader should use charismatic behaviors to influence followers.
Charismatic leaders who are concerned with their followers’ development may also consider modifying environmental and follower characteristics to create factors that replace the need for charismatic leadership.
Leaders can do this by (1) providing followers with valuable work experiences that are inherently interesting and satisfying and (2) helping followers succeed at their tasks to build their self confidence.
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17. Applying the Model of Charismatic Leadership
1. DIAGNOSING THE SITUATION
Do followers face a crisis or extreme uncertainty causing them distress, anxiety, isolation, helplessness, or low self-esteem?
Are followers’ tasks creative or inherently satisfying?
Is there a history of charisma in the organization?
Does the leader have a high-level position, status, or expertise?
Are there formal plans, goals, and procedures that support the leader’s mission?
Are there educated and professional followers who support the leader’s mission?
If “yes” to one or more of these questions then followers will probably respond favorably to charismatic leadership.
3. MODIFYING FOLLOWERS & SITUATIONS
Leaders also act to:
Alleviate crisis, uncertainty, distress, anxiety, isolation, or low self-esteem.
Make followers’ tasks more creative and satisfying
Increase their own rank, status, and expertise
Create plans, goals, and procedures that support or replace the leader’s mission
Develop educated or professional followers
2. PROVIDING DIRECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Leader demonstrates charismatic behaviors like the following:
Advocating a moral mission & vision
Using inspirational rhetoric
Building own image in followers’ eyes
Role modeling behavior for followers with high expectations & confidence
Taking risks to achieve mission
Frame alignment to guide follower behavior
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