Understanding Organisational Behaviour

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1/13/2009


Understanding Organisational Behaviour

IB1230

INTRODUCTION

"I care more about being a leader than being liked, especially when I see someone with ability who isn't trying his hardest."

                                                                Michael Jordan

Defining Charisma

Charisma is difficult to define. We may do so however through the use of some quotes and resources that seek to define and explain charisma.

Charisma is a rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm. Defined as a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including extreme charm and a "magnetic" quality of personality and appearance along with innate and powerfully sophisticated personal communicability and persuasiveness, charisma is used to describe an uncanny ability to charm  and influence people.

It refers especially to a quality in certain people who easily draw the attention and admiration (or even hatred if the charisma is negative) of others due to a "magnetic" quality of personality and/or appearance.

Despite the strong emotions they so often induce in others, charismatic individuals generally project unusual calmness, confidence, assertiveness, dominance, authenticity, and focus, and almost always possess superb communication and oratorical skills.

Charismatic Leadership; the Good and the Bad

Many groups, religious, business, social, and political are interested in charismatic leadership. Many such groups have charismatic leaders at their helms.

The study, recognition, and development of charisma in individuals is of particular interest to sociologists/psychologists, politicians, public speakers, actors, movie-stars/movie-producers, casting directors, pop-music stars, trainers/coaches targeting the upper-echelons of the business community (CEOs), and academics or others involved in leadership studies or leadership development, among others. However, there have been many cases where highly-extroverted and brutally controlling charismatic leaders have used their charisma in extremely destructive and damaging ways throughout human history, for example, Adolf Hitler and Jim Jones.

Professor Richard Wiseman says that a charismatic person has three attributes:

1.       They feel emotions themselves quite strongly;

2.        They induce them in others;

3.        And they are impervious to the influences of other charismatic people.

“Charisma is a tricky thing. Jack Kennedy oozed it-but so did Hitler and Charles Manson. Con artists, charlatans, and megalomaniacs can make it their instrument as effectively as the best CEO's, entertainers, and Presidents. Used wisely, it's a blessing; indulged, it can be a curse. Charismatic visionaries lead people ahead-and sometimes astray.”

                                                                Fortune January 1996

There appear to be four stages in the development of charismatic leadership.

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 Sensing opportunity and formulating a vision:  Leaders seem to sense their constituent needs as well as see the deficiencies of existing situations and untapped opportunities. This helps form an idealized vision of the future. These visions help create innovative products and services, large contributions to society, they help transform organizations and contribute to a workforce.

Articulating the Vision: These leaders have are visionaries and have the ability to convey their visions to a broad group of people.

Building Trust in the Vision: Subordinates desire and support the goals of the leader and this is likely to be accomplished by ...

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