What is Charismatic Leadership?

Exploring how emotional and social skills contribute to charisma.

The original idea of charismatic leadership comes from Max Weber, a sociologist, who spoke of some “special characteristics” possessed by certain leaders. Weber also believed that charismatic leadership occurred when followers felt an attraction to the leader due to those special qualities.

More modern research has uncovered the qualities possessed by charismatic leaders (and people in general).

Charismatic leaders are essentially very skilled communicators — individuals who are both verbally eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level. They are able to articulate a compelling or captivating vision, and are able to arouse strong emotions in followers22.

Charisma is really a process — an interaction between the qualities of the charismatic leader, the followers and their needs and identification with the leader, and the situation that calls out for a charismatic leader, such as a need for change or a crisis. But when it comes to the charismatic qualities of leaders, the emphasis is on how they communicate to followers and whether they are able to gain followers’ trust, and influence and persuade them to follow.

For Development: In order to increase your personal charisma, you need to focus on developing the emotional and social skills that we have been discussing — learning to become a more effective communicator of both verbal and nonverbal messages. You need to have poise and presence. Practicing public speaking helps. Video yourself and study and improve your emotional communication. Work on a compelling vision and how to convey it to followers.