Ethical
Issues
Charismatic
Leadership is ethically neutral. Leaders may use it for good or
evil. For example, Stalin, Churchill,
Roosevelt and Hitler were all Charismatic Leaders.
It
is also necessary to distinguish between the pure Charismatic and
the Charismatic- Transformational Leader.
When viewing these pages and the other literature, you
must infer from the context whether the discussion is about the
pure Charismatic or Transformational-Charismatic Leader.
Checks
& Balances
Charisma
does not confer wisdom or even knowledge on the leader
who possesses it. Such leaders are free from internal conflict and
have high confidence in their own ability. Their disciples also
have high, sometimes misplaced, confidence in their leader.
If
the Charismatic Leader is wrong about the direction and goals set
for the organization, there is little opportunity to question or correct that
direction. There are many examples of Charismatic
Leaders who take their firms down the wrong path. |
Corporate
Culture
Charisma
rarely sways everyone in the organization. Charisma to one
follower may be arrogance to another. Those who do not fall under
the spell often work against the Charismatic Leader.
Charismatic
Leaders often have trouble in the middle-management ranks of
stable organizations. People in other areas view them
as threatening and dangerous. For this reason, those with
charismatic qualities should pay extra attention to the
sensibilities of their peers and superiors.
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