CHARISMATIC AND
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Charisma
Charisma mainly defined as two senses:
compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire
devotion in others,
a divinely conferred power or talent.
According to Weber (1968), “Charisma” term started in Ancient
Greece interpreted as a “gift” symbolized by Mythology and
Religion that justified the happenings with no logical explanation.
Attribution Theory
• According to Attribution Theory if people
perceives a leader to have certin characteristics
such as being visionary, the leader will be more
likely to be perceived as charismatic.
• Attribution of charisma are important because they
lead to other behavorial outcomes such as
commitment to leaders, self sacrifaice and high
performance
Charisma:
Relationship between leader and group members
• Like all leaderships, in charismatic leadership involves
interaction between leader and group members
• Charismatic leaders more than non charismatic leaders value
and pursue an interrelated set of images to convey the
impression that they are trust worthy, credible, morally worthy,
innovative, esteemed and powerful.
• The leader’s overall impression as a charismatic person
depends upon constructing and maintaining this image in the
minds of the followers
• Charismatic leaders more than noncharismatic leaders use the
assertive impression management strategies of
exemplification and promotion to secure and maintain desired
images of their selves, their vision, and their organization.
• So impression management seems to imply that these leaders
are skillful actors in presenting charismatic face to the world.
• But behavior and attitude of truly charismatic leaders will
go beyond superfacial aspects of impression managment
Types of charismatic leaders
• Charismatic leaders can be catagorized into following
types
1. socialized charismatic's
2. Personalized charismatic's
3. office holders charismatic's
4. Divine charismatic's
Socialized charismatic leaders
• A socialized charismatic leader is the one who restrains the
use of power to benefit others
• They try to bring group member value in line with his or
her own values
• They formulate and pursues goals that fulfill the needs of
group members and provide intellectual stimulation to
them
• Their followers are autonomous, empowered and
responsible
Personalized charismatic leaders
• Such individuals primarily serve their own interests and exercise
few restraints on their use of power
• They impose self serving goals on their constituents and offer
consideration and support to group members only when it
facilitates their own goals
• Their followers are typically obedient, submissive and
dependent.
Office Holder Charismatic
• For this type, the leadership is more a property of the office
occupied than of his or her own personal characterics.
• They attain high status by holding a valuable position in
organization.
Divine Charismatic Leadership
• In 1924 Max Weber defined charismatic leadership as
mystical, narcissistic and personally magnetic savior who
would arise to lead people through crisis
Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders
• Visionary:– Is the ability to imagine different and better
conditions and ways to achieve them
• Masterful communication skills: Charismatic leaders can
communicate complex ideas and goals in clear, compelling ways,
so that everyone from top management to the bottom level of the
organization can understand and identify with their message
• Make group people feel capable
• Energy and action oriented
• Romanticize risk
• Unconventional strategies
• Dramatic and unique
Transformational Leadership
• James Burns introduced the concept of transforming and
transactional leadership (1978)
• A process in which leaders and followers help each other
advance to a higher level of motivation and morale.
• Transformational leadership creates significant change in
the lives of people and organizations.
Transformational Leadership
•A transformative leader focuses on transforming others to help each other, to
look out for each other, to be encouraging and harmonious and to look out for
the organization as a whole.
•In this leadership, the leader enhances the motivation, morale and performance
of the follower
•Transformative leadership’s goal is to “transform” people and organizations in a
literal sense – to change them in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight, and
understanding; clarify purposes; make behavior congruent with beliefs,
principles, or values; and bring about changes that are permanent, self-
perpetuating, and momentum building.”
4 I's of Transformational Leadership
• Idealized Influence: Leader serves as an ideal role model for
followers and is admired for this
• Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have
the ability to inspire and motivate followers
• Individualized Consideration: Transformational leaders
demonstrate genuine concern for the needs and feelings of
followers which brings out the best efforts from each
individual
• Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders challenges
followers to be innovative and creative
Assumptions
The prime assumption is, that people will willingly follow a
leader who inspires them
The vision and passion of one man can transform his
followers and together they can achieve great things
Energy and enthusiasm are the tonics that get things done
Difference between Charismatic and
Transformational Leadership
Definition
Charismatic Leadership: A leadership approach that reins itself on
the leaders charm and attraction which creates inspiration and
devotion among the followers towards the leader.
Transformational Leadership: A leadership approach that causes a
change in individuals and social systems through a collective vision.
Origins
Charismatic Leadership: People believe charismatic leaders are born
and not made.
Transformational Leadership: Transformation leaders are adaptive
leaders and mostly are trained to become leaders.
Focus:
Charismatic Leadership: Charismatic leaders may not want to
change anything in the organization.
Transformational Leadership: Transformational Leaders have a
basic focus of transforming the organization and their followers.
Benefit Sharing:
Charismatic Leadership: Charismatic leaders tend to work more
towards their personal benefit and image building.
Transformational Leadership: Transformational leaders tend to
work more for the betterment of the organization and their
followers.
Succession:
Charismatic Leadership: Charismatic leaders are hard to replace.
Transformational Leadership: Transformational leaders will be
replaced by the next in line commandment officer in the organization
if they are trained well.
