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Charismatic leadership style: lead your team with personality

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Charismatic leadership style: lead your team with personality

The way a manager implements projects, gives instructions and motivates employees is referred to as leadership style. A distinction is made between different leadership methods. Each variant is characterized by specific features. There are strict, bureaucratic, diplomatic or more relaxed forms of leadership. This also includes the charismatic Leadership stylewhich we would like to discuss in more detail in this article.

The goal of effective human resource management is to, Motivation and willingness to perform in order to achieve the best results. A charismatic Leadership style is shaped by the personality (charisma) of the leader. Charismatics are people with a strong self-confidencewho approach others with tolerance and openness. Managers with charisma have visions, can carry their counterparts along and convince them of their ideas.

Definition "Charismatic Leadership Style

An official "charismatic leadership style" definition states that the personality of the leader is crucial to the success of this leadership style. Therefore, a charismatic leadership style is always very personal. Whether this leadership method works is thus largely dependent on the charisma and persuasiveness of the leader.

Unlike other leadership concepts, a charismatic leadership style is not possible in every company. The most important prerequisite for its application is that there are leaders with charisma in the company.

Are you a charismatic leader or manager with charismatic skills? Find out here what characterizes a charismatic leadership style and how you can learn charismatic leadership.

What is the charismatic leadership style?

A charismatic leadership style is composed of charisma and Leadership together. This leadership method focuses on the personality of the leader. Charisma is described as a person's infectious charisma. The art of convincing others of one's own visions, using personal skills rather than logical arguments, is considered charismatic. Typical characteristics that leaders with charisma possess are:

  • Self-confidence and leadership skills
  • Intelligence and eloquence
  • Authenticity and empathy
  • Courage and curiosity
  • Emotional balance and helpfulness

A charismatic leadership style is determined by a leader's ability to adapt quickly to new situations. The charisma of the leader is the most important basis of a charismatic leadership style. The role model function is particularly strong. A leader with charisma is seen as a guiding figure who is respected by his or her employees. Orders are followed without reservation.

Charisma, however, is a gift that very few managers are born with. Can a charismatic leadership style be achieved without this talent? That is hardly possible. But you can learn to lead charismatically. In order to lead with your personality alone, it is important to have confidence in your own abilities and in the achievability of your vision.

charismatic leadership definition style

Characteristics of the charismatic leadership style

Each leadership variant has its characteristics and peculiarities. Unlike other leadership methods, a charismatic leadership style has characteristics such as:

  • Focus on the leader
  • There is no say in decisions relevant to the business
  • Employees identify with their manager
  • There is an emotional connection between superiors and subordinates

on. Focusing on the leader is the most defining characteristic of the charismatic leadership style. Those who lead exclusively with charisma need a particularly strong sense of responsibility.

In this style of leadership, employees have no say in decisions relevant to the business. The emotional connection that exists between supervisors and employees is therefore of great importance. In this relationship, security and a sense of belonging to the company play the greatest role.

Emotional closeness is a prerequisite

Emotional closeness to workers is a prerequisite for creating a positive work dynamic. Tensions and other problems in the workplace are reduced in the charismatic leadership style by the leader's ability to take care of the Needs of others, balanced. With charismatic leadership that uses its charisma purposefully, employees often become followers.

Well-known examples of charismatic leadership styles are Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, and Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group conglomerate. Both succeeded in motivating employees and inspiring them with their visions through their personality and charisma alone. Even business partners and customers followed their charisma. successful managers, thereby helping to build the respective companies into significant brands.

Advantages of the charismatic leadership style

It is assumed that a charismatic leadership style can have advantages and disadvantages. It is considered advantageous that the motivation of the employees is strengthened through identification with the manager. Important decisions are made almost exclusively by the person in charge. As a result, it is possible to react spontaneously and make decisions more quickly. Trust and Appreciation is conveyed in this leadership style through the delegation of individual, small tasks.

A leader with charisma succeeds in convincing others of his or her ideas. Therefore, employees also believe in these visions. This has a stimulating effect on motivation and willingness to perform. The advantages of the charismatic leadership style are:

  • Higher employee motivation
  • Employees are tied to the company
  • Better job satisfaction
  • Harmonious working atmosphere
  • Flexible employee management possible
  • Can be combined with other leadership styles

However, these benefits can only be achieved through a high level of commitment on the part of the leader.

charismatic leadership style examples

Disadvantages of the charismatic leadership style

Charisma is a combination of certain qualities and skills, coupled with a special charisma. Not everyone naturally has an impressive effect on others.

If a manager does not succeed in convincing with his personality, a charismatic leadership style is not possible. Moreover, charisma cannot replace professional competence. Having the best intentions is not enough to lead a team, a department or the entire company.

In addition to charismatic qualities, other leadership qualities are needed. The impression must not be created that only one's own success is important. A leader must have extensive knowledge and professional experience in the respective field.

One of the main disadvantages of this management concept is the lack of visionaries with charisma. For the most part, management personnel are limited to the Management tasks well prepared, but without possessing charismatic skills.

The disadvantages of the charismatic leadership style can be:

  • Risk of abuse of power
  • Easy exploitation of employees
  • Work climate depends on the mood of the manager
  • Lack of employee development
  • Lack of clarity in areas of responsibility and competencies
  • After the manager leaves, the resulting gap is difficult to fill

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Can charismatic leadership be learned?

Many companies prefer a charismatic leadership style. Leaders with charisma are usually strong personalities. They are characterized by their healthy Self-confidence have a clear strategy and can convince. One example of charismatic leadership style is that a friendly smile or praise are enough to motivate employees.

A person's charisma is made up of various traits. Therefore, it is quite possible to strengthen the positive traits and work on the weaknesses. Charismatic leadership is described as a technique that can be learned.

The Communication skillsThe ability to communicate, which is strongly developed in charismatic people, is one of the core competencies of a leader. If you want to learn charismatic leadership, improve your communication! Can you empathize with others? Can you find the right words even in complicated situations?

Improve your communication skills by choosing your words deliberately and expressing yourself clearly. Listen carefully. This will make it easier for you to understand what the other person is trying to say.

Convince others of your ideas

Visionaries know what they want and how to get their accomplish goals. The charismatic leadership style is about convincing others of your own ideas. Can you motivate your team to follow your instructions? Leaders with charisma are characterized by a willingness to create, the courage to change, creativity and curiosity. Meet other people with openness. Be creative, try out unusual approaches and find constructive solutions to problems.

As a charismatic leader, you need a self-confident aura. Only when you yourself are convinced of your project can you motivate others to do it. Strong self-confidence means trusting your own abilities and relying on personal judgment. Ban negative beliefs. They don't get you anywhere in life. A positive mindset helps to strengthen self-confidence.

The demands on a charismatic leader are high. You are expected to encourage, motivate and promote others. A charismatic leadership style includes having convictions and communicating them to employees. Do you work performance and result oriented? As a leader, you have a role model function. Your team will be guided by your way of working.

Charismatic leadership style: Communicate in clear messages

Lead by example and communicate in clear messages. Leading other people is a demanding task. A charismatic leadership style is characterized by a high sense of responsibility. Achieving higher-level goals depends largely on you. Inspire your employees by using body language in a targeted manner. In this way, you give your words more emphasis.

In charismatic leadership, (almost) all decisions are made by the leader. Are you a decision maker? You determine the course of action in your team based on your assessments. In a company, difficult decisions often have to be made. Weigh different aspects, make a pro-contra list and compare several options.

The best prerequisites for learning charismatic leadership are skills like:

  • empathy
  • Communication skills
  • Self-motivation and the will to achieve goals
  • Strong personality

What other leadership styles are there?

In addition to charismatic leadership, there are other leadership styles. The leadership style has an impact on all areas in the company. Of importance is the respective leadership style, especially for:

  • Employer attractiveness and employer image
  • Working atmosphere
  • Cooperation between different departments
  • Motivation, willingness to perform and Satisfaction of the employees.

Increased staff turnover as well as unfavorable ratings in employer rating portals are often due to a leadership style perceived as unfavorable by employees. The leadership concept shapes everyday working life and thus has a major influence on the company's success.

The most important leadership methods are the four leadership styles classified by sociologist Max Weber:

In the autocratic style of leadership, sole decision-making power is in the hands of a single person. Bureaucratic leadership is characterized by strict rules and laws, compliance with which is monitored by one or more managers. A subform of the authoritarian leadership style is the patriarchal method of leadership. The model of a paternal authority figure is omnipresent. The entire organization in the company is characterized by the patriarchal order.

Social psychologist Kurt Lewin describes three classic leadership styles. These are:

  • Authoritarian management style
  • Cooperative management style
  • Laissez-faire management style

Similar to the sociologist Max Weber, Kurt Lewin also describes the authoritarian leadership style as dominant. The entire leadership force is concentrated in the executive suite. Decisions are made there. All instructions are heeded. The execution of smaller tasks delegated to employees is strictly controlled.

The cooperative management style is characterized by cooperation between managers and employees based on partnership. Both sides actively contribute and are allowed to express their opinions. This is why this leadership concept is also referred to as a democratic leadership style.

Loose and uncomplicated is the way of Laissez-faire management style to. The manager gives employees a lot of leeway. Because of the opportunity to carry out tasks independently and make decisions themselves, many employees appreciate this style of leadership. Supervisors tend to lead in a restrained manner and only make an appearance when things are important.

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Reviewed by Dr. med. Stefan Frädrich

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