In the current U.K. elections, the various merits of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have been wrapped up in their relative charisma levels. Their ability to communicate smoothly and effectively has been arguably the strongest way for the electorate to determine their leadership capabilities. Indeed, whether you think of Obama or Trump, Trudeau or Macron, it's hard to think of a modern political leader that doesn't exude charisma. But how important is it in leadership?
A recent study from Michigan State University suggests that it isn't that big a deal, with things like a supportive style and clear goal setting found to be more effective.
“Effective leadership may be based in part on leader’s ability to recognize when a particular mental state is needed in their employees and to adapt their own mental state and their behaviors to elicit that mindset,” the authors say. “Part of the story here is that you don’t have to be Steve Jobs to be an effective leader. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing.”
Beware The Ego
Indeed, a Cambridge University study found that charismatic leaders can be a really bad thing, as they tend to overwhelm their organizations. The study found that a charismatic leader can cause their followers to suppress their emotions, which reduces job satisfaction and the potential for collaboration. As such, ‘awestruck’ followers seldom benefit the organization in the long-term.
It's a finding replicated in a recently published paper from Ghent University, Belgium. It found that there is a 'sweet spot' of charisma, with too much being an overwhelmingly negative thing. The researchers tested for charisma levels in leaders using a test known as the charismatic cluster. The test focuses on four distinct personality traits: boldness, mischievousness, colorfulness and imagination.
The charisma scores of around 600 leaders were compared with the effectiveness scores they were given by their subordinates, and a clear correlation emerged. When charisma increased, so too did the perceived effectiveness of the leader, but only up to a point. Once the charisma passed a certain level, the effectiveness of the leader declined.
"Leaders with both low and high charismatic personalities were perceived as being less effective than leaders with moderate levels of charisma, and this was true according to all three rater groups," the authors say.
Just as in the Cambridge study, it transpired that excessively charismatic leaders tended to overwhelm their teams and prevent them from working effectively. They also lacked the attention to detail required to excel operationally. Likewise, leaders with low charisma levels were also often ineffective because they weren’t perceived as being sufficiently strategic.
As such, the best leaders were sufficiently charismatic to be able to communicate their vision for the company and persuade others to follow them, whilst also being sufficiently grounded to oversee the tactical details of their work and execute projects with discipline.
The finding is interesting because it suggests that charismatic leaders are not failing due to personality issues per se, but rather clear business issues that can be overcome.
"While conventional wisdom suggests that highly charismatic leaders might fail for interpersonal reasons like arrogance and self-centeredness, our findings suggest that business-related behaviors, more than interpersonal behavior, drive leader effectiveness ratings," the authors say.
Getting The Balance Right
The study suggests that recruitment practices need to be adjusted to take account of the relative charisma levels of leaders, whilst training can also play a part in moderating the excesses shown by the highly charismatic among us. For instance, leaders could be coached to ensure they focus effectively on operational demands as well as the high-level strategies that come more naturally.
Likewise, training could also help low-charisma leaders up their game so that they take a longer-term and broader approach to their work that ensures they create the kind of environment where innovation and experimentation can thrive.
It’s easy to be bewitched by the apparent power of a super-charismatic individual, but whilst such characteristics can indeed be important in a leader, hopefully this post will remind us that charisma has some serious flaws that should not be overlooked.
