Charismatic Leadership

Sarah Almquist, RN, BSN, CAPAThe University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing

In partial fulfillment of the requirements ofN5311 Nursing Management in the Health Care Environment

Sharon Judkins, RN, PhD, NEA-BCJuly, 28, 2013

Leadership Defined:

Gibson (2012)

McLaurin & Al Amri (2008)

The Handbook of Leadership (1990)

CharismaFrom the Greek word χάρισμα = gift (Gibson et al., 2012)

Charismatic leadership defined:“The ability to influence followers

based on a supernatural gift and attractive powers. Followers enjoy being with the charismatic leader because they feel inspired, correct and important”

(Gibson et al., 2012, p. 351).

History1920 – Weber

Initial development

1977 – HouseFive key behavioral traits

1992 – RobbinsFour key personality traits

(McLaurin & Bushanain, 2008)

Conger’s Model of Charismatic Leadership

(Gibson et al., 2012)

Charismatic Leadership

Lack of theoretical and research work

Concept is ambiguous and abstract (Gibson et al., 2012)

Sometimes based on trait theory (Takala et al., 2012)Identifies specific physical, mental and

personality traits associated with successful leadership (Gibson et al., 2012)

StrengthsCharismatic leaders:

Inspire confidence, commitment and enthusiasm

Develop and articulate clear visionsCan be extremely effective and often

receive high levels of obedience (McLaurin & Bushanain, 2008)

Can profoundly impact organizations and even entire societies (Lapierre et al., 2012)

WeaknessesDifficult to find charismatic leaders

Could become exploitative of followers

May value personal gain over organizational success

Opinions are often unchallengedNarcissismLack of Accountability

(Lapierre et al., 2012)

ExamplesJohn F. Kennedy

Adolf Hitler

Walt Disney

Jim Jones

Barack Obama

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Personal Perspective

Successful charismatic leadership requires high ethical standards

Lack of employee involvement

Effect of modern media (Takala et al., 2012)

Usefulness in Modern Management

Organizational distress or transitionInspirationMotivation

Rhetorical skillsSpoken and writtenMartin Luther King, Jr.

(“Charismatic leadership (Weber)”, 2013)

Recommendations for Use

Inspiration and motivation

Conger’s four-stage modelWell-suited for organizational transitionPromotes positive change

Assist with vision formation and articulation

Ensure trusted advisors and accountability

(Gibson et al., 2012)

Questions??

References Bass, B. M. (1990). Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership. New York, NY: Free

Press.

Charismatic leadership (Weber). (2013). Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.12manage.com/methods_weber_charismatic_leadership.html

Gibson, J. L., Ivancevich, J. M., Donnelly, Jr, J. H., & Konopaske, R. (2012). Organizations: Behavior, structure, processes (14th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Lapierre, L. M., Bremner, N. L., & McMullan, A. D. (2012). Strength in Numbers How Employees' Acts of Followership Can Influence Their Manager's Charismatic Leadership Behavior. Zeitschrift Fur Psychologie, 220(4), 251-261.

McLaurin, J., & Al Amri, M. (2008). Developing an understanding of charismatic and transformational leadership. Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings Of The Academy Of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict (AOCCC), 13(2), 15-19.

Takala, T., Tanttu, S., Lämsä, A., & Virtanen, A. (2013). Discourses of Charisma: Barack Obama's First 6 Months as the President of the USA. Journal Of Business Ethics, 115(1), 149-166. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1389-0