Charismatic Leadership Theory

Angela Camille Bullock

Charismatic leadership is a relatively new and distinct paradigm. Since the 1970s, researchers have conducted studies on charismatic leadership in areas such as management, academia, the military, and government. Although researchers have used different approaches to study charismatic leadership, their findings have been fairly consistent. Through empirical investigation, researchers have uncovered the key features of charismatic leadership. Charismatic leadership theory identifies the extraordinary characteristics that inspire devotion and motivation in followers and highlights the relationship between charismatic leaders and their followers. Studies describe charismatic leaders as highly influential and confident individuals who hold strong beliefs. They are change agents who communicate their vision to others, set high expectations, attend to the needs of their followers, and behave in unconventional ways. Researchers assert that charismatic leadership tends to manifest itself in crisis situations, when the leader is of high authority, when vague and complicated assignments are given, and when extrinsic rewards ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.