Charisma and leadership have become buzzwords of our times. You often hear someone described as a charismatic leader and we automatically perceive that as a positive. However, have you ever stopped and wondered, what is the importance of charisma in leadership? Why should you seek to work with charismatic leaders? And why should you aim to become one? Let’s explore the significance of charisma in leadership in today’s article!
Introducing leadership
Leadership and leader are terms that date back to the 14th century; nevertheless, researchers are often at a crossroads when defining the words’ meaning and origin, as it greatly depends on the historical context, language, culture, and regions where the words were used. Researchers found that both terms are connected to organisations (rather than random groups), and it is the organisation itself that defines the specific meaning of it, which always includes the ability to influence others.
Leadership is not unique to humankind. If you look at animals, you will see that the principles of leadership and influence. For example, ants and termites use “tandem running” to lead each other to the feeding sites. Bees distribute the authority and have a defined leadership hierarchy to have a smoothly running organisation. While these basic characteristics of leadership are far away from today’s complex corporate leadership, they function with the same principle – the ability of an individual to lead and steer the organisation in a certain direction.
Charisma and leadership
As explained earlier, leadership can be found across the living world and therefore, charisma is not a given characteristic of every leader. However, it has been proven that charisma has many benefits when it comes to leadership, including for example better cooperation and cohesion across organisation. In other words, you do not need charisma to become a leader; however, many sources believe that charisma makes you a more important and efficient leader. Nevertheless, it is necessary to also mention that some believe that too much charisma can lead to negative results. Overly charismatic leaders can develop high egos and overconfidence, can fear admitting they are wrong and their reign can lead to dangerous groupthink. This is the reason why at Art of Charisma we not only teach how to learn charisma, but also how to maintain it and use it to the benefit of our society. We regularly schedule monthly charisma coaching sessions with our clients to ensure that charisma is wielded responsibly, avoiding any potential harm to organisations.
Main benefits of charismatic leadership
Charisma brings fruitful outcomes when used in leadership. If you are still unsure why you should strive to become a charismatic leader, see below the eight benefits of charismatic leadership:
Persuasion and influence
Charismatic leaders can convey their ideas in a manner that is understandable and can influence people around them. It is not only through the words but also by using non-verbal communication. This magnetic combination makes them great leaders, as they can win over any business deal!
Higher team morale
One of the great characteristics of charismatic leaders is that they are “team-oriented”. Their energy and presence usually tend to keep the higher team morale, which makes the team unstoppable and always growing in the right direction.
More efficient management
Their overall skills help to manage the team efficiently. Charismatic leaders master crisis management, conflict resolution, decision-making, and other skills, which help them to lead the organisation and steer it in the right direction. While they may not be always perceived as kindest, their management style helps individuals and organisation to grow.
Effective communication
Charismatic leaders have great communication skills. As previously stated, they are excellent in both verbal and non-verbal communication. How is this beneficial? This compelling communication is necessary for explaining the ideas, visions, and expectations to the team. If the team understands, and the communication between leaders and followers is flawless, this creates an environment in which everyone can grow.
Motivation and inspiration
Charismatic leaders tend to be great motivators and inspirations to others. Through their effective communication and leadership style, they inspire people to become more and push them forward. Their ability to motivate individuals plays a crucial role in the organisation, as they push the development of individuals forward.
Emotional intelligence
Thanks to high emotional intelligence, charismatic leaders can read and understand people very easily. They are capable of managing their own emotions, which means that they are less likely to have positive or negative emotional outbursts. Emotional intelligence helps them to read social cues, and create strong relationships. Charismatic leaders tend to support their teams and provide them with necessary support.
Organisational culture
The great asset of charismatic leaders is not only their great sense of humour, but also their values and behaviour. The combination of those tends to create a friendly and welcoming environment – it is the place where you feel safe, happy and you like to return there.
Long-term strategy
The summary of all of the points above makes charismatic leaders very powerful and able to manage large organisations sustainably. Their charismatic leadership helps to achieve the long-term strategy of organisations. This means that there are likely to succeed and help the organisation to grow, and as the organisation grows, the people within grow as well.
Your Charismatic leadership
As you now understand, charisma is a greasing oil of leadership. While you do not necessarily need to be charismatic to be a leader, it surely helps when influencing decisions, motivating people, and enhancing team morale. If you are interested in becoming more charismatic, we recommend you to book a Discovery Call with one of our trainers. Through our coaching courses, you will dive into the charismatic world and become a successful leader in any industry!
