In today’s era of uncertainty and crisis, organisations face challenges ranging from global events like the Covid-19 pandemic to localised issues such as supply chain disruptions. Leadership becomes critical during these times. Research highlights the crucial role leaders play in maintaining morale, engagement, and performance during crises. A crisis necessitates a new set of actions from employees. This causes stress and insecurity. Hence, they look for a leader to take the initiative and interpret the crisis for the various stakeholders, resolve it, and restore organisational normalcy.
The link between crisis and charismatic leadership has been well-established since Max Weber introduced the concept of charismatic authority. In crises, leaders can use charismatic tactics, like self-sacrificing behaviour, to legitimise their authority. By providing a compelling vision and a sense of security, charismatic leaders help followers adapt to new behaviours and navigate uncertainty. Research shows that charismatic leadership is effective in times of crisis because it strengthens the leader-follower relationship by promising reassurance. This relationship is established through the leader’s capability to articulate a compelling vision, provide emotional support, and demonstrate commitment to the employee as well as to the organisation’s well-being. By doing so, charismatic leaders can re-establish trust and confidence among their followers, resulting in increased motivation and cooperation.
John Antonakis, a prominent leadership scholar, posits that charisma is an alchemy produced through leaders’ behaviours, actions, strategies, and attributes. So how does a leader develop charisma? In their article, “Learning Charisma”, in the Harvard Business Review, Antonakis, Marika Fenley, and Sue Liechti introduce Charismatic Leadership Tactics as powerful tools that influence followers’ emotions and perceptions. They further identify specific verbal and non-verbal tactics that charismatic leaders often employ. Key verbal tactics include using metaphors, stories, moral conviction, and rhetorical devices. Charismatic leaders also excel in non-verbal communication, using facial expressions and body language to convey emotions like pride, anger, or sadness. These non-verbal tactics, as shown in a 2015 study by Menges, Kilduff, Kern, and Bruch, help deliver a strong emotional impact on followers. Leaders who effectively integrate both verbal and non-verbal CLTs can craft a compelling and forward-thinking vision, reduce anxiety among their followers, and boost their confidence in achieving specific objectives during a crisis. Followers who perceive their leaders as charismatic due to the demonstration of CLTs are more likely to remain motivated and engaged even in the face of adversity.
Popular books on leaders like Jack Welch and Steve Jobs have cemented the heroic image of charismatic leadership, emphasising its power to elevate followers and organisations. Their image is reinforced by the use of CLTs, which are believed to have extraordinary effects on followers. Research shows that CLTs can be developed through structured training programmes.
While charismatic leadership can be powerful, it also carries risks if not anchored in sound judgement and ethical principles. This danger is evident across politics, business, and religion. Indian politics is replete with charismatic leaders who have fostered a kind of nationalism that is authoritarian, thereby eroding democratic institutions and suppressing dissent. This has led to polarisation, concentration of power, and dynastic politics both at the state and national levels. In the corporate world, charismatic leaders like Jeffrey Skilling of Enron and Adam Neumann of WeWork have driven their companies to collapse through unethical practices. These examples highlight the potential dangers of charisma when used for personal gain rather than for the common good.
Rahul A. Kamble and Santosh Kumar Dash are Assistant Professors at the Institute of Rural Management Anand
