Literature Synthesis on Charismatic Leadership
Charismatic leadership is an ascription centred on follower views of their leader's behaviour.
The perceived leaders behaviour is understood by followers as charisma expression in the
same sense as a behaviour of the leader reveal that individual's participative, people, and task
orientations (Conger JA, 1994.).Leaders who are charismatic vary from other leaders by their
capacity to frame and articulate encouraging vision and by behaviours and actions that
nurture an impression that they and their mission are unusual. As such, people may choose to
follow such leaders in management settings not because of the formal authority of the leader
but out of leaders’ extraordinary character perception (Weber, 1947). Thus ,any charismatic
leadership measurement must be based on perceptions of the followers of the specific
behavioural leader attributes that provoke such effects .The model of charismatic leadership
by Conger-Kanungo ,(1987) differentiates the managers charismatic leadership from other
roles of leadership along two dimensions. The first are the perceptions of the followers of the
manager's bigger want to change the status. The second is the intensified sensitivity on the
leader's part to environmental prospects, constraints, and needs of the followers .The
Managers perceived as being charismatic will as a result be more likely to be seen as both
criticizers of the status and as improvers or agents of fundamental reform.
Follower’s perceptions of the managers’ formulation of a shared and idealized future vision
as well as his or her effective articulation of this vision in an inspiring manner distinguish
charismatic leaders from other forms. The shared vision perspective and potential to gratify
needs of the followers that form the attraction to the charismatic leader. It is the ideal aspect,
though, that make such leaders commendable persons eligible of respect and worthy of
identification and followers imitation .Finally, perceived charismatic managers are seen to be
exemplary engaging in acts that are interpreted by subordinates as involving great personal
risk and self-sacrifice. Through these actions, subordinates can be empowered and trust build
on them by the managers .In addition, managers perceived as charismatic will also be seen to
be setting up inventive and eccentric means for attaining their dreams .Their capacity to
exceed the existing order via approaches that are unconventional intensifies perceptions of
the follower towards leader's expertize and follower perceptions of control over
events .When managers are perceived by the subordinates that they are exhibiting leadership
behaviours, they will attribute charisma to him or her change their attitudes ,values ,and
behaviour reliable with what the manager wants from them. Such manager’s influence of
leadership on subordinates is termed as effects of the follower .These effects are noticed on
two fronts. A leadership behaviour of the manager can affect follower’s reactions towards
themselves as subordinates and towards the leader who is the manager and their efforts in the
task.
The follower willingness to be swayed by the charismatic leader is centred on their leaders
trust (Kouzes, 1987) . Given the demeaning charismatic leaders visions and the execution
challenges that are posed by these visions, in target achievement follower trust is essential
and, also to the mission long-term viability. The charismatic leader thus should attempt to
adopt deep follower trust levels. Podsakof et al. (1990) on follower trust in the leader, have
shown that three leader’s qualities add considerably to follower trust. These include: vision
finding and articulation; setting followers example that is in line with the leaders adopted
values; and group cooperation promoting and group goal acceptance .Furthermore, leaders
who are charismatic builds follower trust via a validated concern for the needs of a
follower ,taking risks , personal sacrifices, and unusual expertize .Precisely, when leaders
advocate their position in an unbiased manner and prove a concern for the needs of the
followers instead of their own interest they are greatly perceived as trustworthy(Walster E,
1966).Charismatic leaders do so by making this qualities seem unusual .Furthermore,
charismatic leaders engage in exemplary acts that are seen by followers as build trust in
themselves by engaging in exemplary acts that are perceived by followers as encompassing
great personal risk, cost, and energy (Friedland, 1964) . Personal risks here includes the
possible forfeiture of personal finances, the likelihood of being fired or downgraded, and the
loss of formal or informal status, power, authority, and integrity.
The greatness of the leader’s perceived trustworthiness varies with how the charismatic
leaders manifest their personal cost or sacrifice for goals which are common. In essence, in
order to attain their shared visions charismatic leaders struggle to prove that they are
determined workers who are prepared to take on high personal risks or suffer high personal
costs. Via such examples, the charismatic leader strengthens his or her perceptions that is
worthy of total follower trust .Furthermore, charismatic leaders are seen by the followers as
knowledgeable and experts in their areas of influence .The charisma acknowledgment is
affected by the expertize of these leaders in two areas which are ;charismatic leaders using
their expertize in establishing the insufficiency of the traditional technology, rules, and
regulations of the status as a means of attaining the shared vision (Weber, 1947).Through the
use of eccentric strategies and plans of action charismatic leaders reveal of expertize in
exceeding the existing order (Conger JA, 1994.).
REFERENCE
Conger JA, K. R., 1994.. Charismatic leadership in organizations: Perceived behavioral
attributes. Journal of Organization Behaviour, Volume 15, pp. 439-452.
Friedland, W. H., 1964. For a sociological concept of charisma. Social Forces, Volume 43,
pp. 18-26..
Kouzes, J. B., 1987. The leadership Challenge, San Francisco: s.n.
Walster E, A. D. D., 1966. Increasing the persuasiveness of a low prestige communicator.
Journal of Experimental social psychology, Volume 2, pp. 325-342.
Weber, M., 1947. Theory of social and economic organizations, Newyork: Free press.
