Dangers of charismatic leadership

5 phases that take place as a leader’s charisma shifts from a positive to a negative quality:

• The first phase is characterized by the subtle sense on the part of followers that the leader does not want to be questioned.
• The second stage: sensing the leader's diminished appetite for being questioned or challenged, followers begin to self-censor, asking fewer questions and no longer playing devil's advocate.
• The third stage: a negative cycle in which compliments and agreement cause leaders to become overconfident. Leaders in this stage create their own sense of reality and become resistant to evidence that they may be incorrect.
• The fourth stage: Since the leader's views and actions are the only ones that matter, followers reduce their willingness to be proactive. They wait for directions and become passive. Decision making slows down.
• The fifth stage is characterized by people continuing to follow and ostensibly do only what is necessary but with a deep diminishment in enthusiasm and spirit. 

Charismatic leaders think outside the box and aren’t afraid to push the limits.

While others may see this kind of push as risky, these leaders are the ones leading the way and driving innovation. When a problem arises, leaders don’t see only the difficulties. Instead, they rise to the challenge and see it as an opportunity. In business, this creativity can lead to powerful change and transformation, which can inspire and motivate others.

"Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.” - Simon Sinek 

Because leaders value innovation, they are focused on the future and how they can improve it. They have a dream and direction that motivates and inspires others. 

Charismatic professionals execute a certain magnetism and presence that automatically lead others to endorse them as leaders.

They have high levels of energy, unconventional behaviour and seem to be doing heroic deeds. We seem to be hardwired to seek and endorse over-glorified 'Superhero' like leaders.

Charismatic leaders can also be narcissists in some cases, having self-serving and grandiose intentions, taking advantage of their followers and abusing their power.

Even though they are generally perceived as arrogant, their bold vision and fearless attitude make them radiate an image of effective leaders, making them a high-risk, high-reward proposition.

An authentic leader inspires trust and loyalty in employees and has the ability to influence others and contribute to an organization's success. And all that can be learned and assessed.

Critics believe that authentic leadership can promote rigidity in those who use it as an excuse for not evolving their ideas following new challenges, experiences and insights.

Critics also say that authentic leadership's belief in presenting one's true self, and not a persona, can prevent someone from being an effective leader. 

An overly-charismatic leader draws focus from the rest of the organization by demanding all the attention. When the focus shifts to the personal characteristics of the leader, accountability is diminished.

The followers can become overly dependent on the leader for all manner of large and small directions and decisions. The enterprise loses the ability to be resilient in the face of changing realities. 

To motivate and inspire performance, a leader must be:

• Visionary: providing a clear picture of the future and being able to communicate it to the team.
• Enhancing: creating positive individual relationships along with team relationships.
• Driver: completing things on time and being accountable for personal and group performance.
• Principled: being a positive role model of doing the right things in the right way.
• Enthusiast: being passionate about the organization, its goals and the work itself.
• Expert: providing a strong technical direction that comes from deep expertise.

Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his framework in the 1930s, and it provided the foundation of many of the approaches that followed afterwards

• Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their team members, even if their input would be useful.
• Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but they include team members in the decision-making process.
• Laissez-faire leaders give their team members a lot of freedom in how they do their work. They provide support with resources and advice if needed, but otherwise they don't get involved.

• With a people-oriented style, you focus on organizing, supporting, and developing your team members. This participatory style encourages good teamwork and creative collaboration.
• With task-oriented leadership, you focus on getting the job done. You define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, and plan, organize, and monitor work.

The best style to use is one that has both a high concern for people and a high concern for the task.

Leadership has to do with who we are as human beings and the forces that shaped us. Style is the outward manifestation of one’s authentic leadership. 

Authentic leaders must adapt their styles to fit the situation and capabilities of their teammates.

You can’t pretend to be an authentic leader for long because people will eventually sense the lack of authenticity, and ultimately you will not gain the trust of your teammates.

If you are real and genuine people will see you as trustworthy and willing to learn, they will respond positively to requests for help in getting through difficult times.

• Speak slowly. Visualize the slow, emphatic tone of a judge delivering a verdict.
• Pause. Those who show confidence often pause for a second or two between sentences.
• Drop intonation. Lowering the tone of your voice at the end of a sentence sounds confident. You can even lower your intonation midsentence.
• Check your breathing. Try not to breathe through your mouth as it can make you sound breathless and anxious. Instead, inhale and exhale through your nose.
• Smile. Smiling projects more warmth in your voice. It's even worth doing when on the phone.

The use of imagery increases charisma.

Research shows that a high imagery speech resulted in higher ratings of charisma that a low imagery speech.

The measure of leadership is the impact they have on their followers. How much of a difference they make.

They’re either instrumental in creating real lasting change, or they’re not leaders. They’re just entertainers.

An authentic leader draws people and compels them to act with his vision and values. He also gives off a positive vibe and is good at persuading others to his point of view.