Charisma and Leadership

When talking about leadership, images of Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind. Is it just coincidental that they are charismatic?

Firstly, let me define charisma. A charismatic person is someone who is well-liked by many people, and is greatly influential. Charismatic leaders have a good self-image, and people are naturally drawn to them.

I feel that charisma is very important in a leader. A leader, after all is dependent on his supporters. As Mohandas Gandhi puts it, "Even the most powerful cannot rule without the cooperation of the ruled". In any society, an unpopular leader cannot achieve anything, as they do not have the respect of their followers. Actually, charisma is not a common ability; it requires the combination of skills such as social skills, and good speaking ability. Many influential people have good social skills, and are able to make good speeches. There are some people who claim that Obama victory was due to his speeches.

While charisma is important, the actions of a leader is also a contributing factor to his success. Even without the charisma, or speaking ability of Obama, people can still be successful leaders. Take for example Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. His speeches are considered by some as uninteresting, and boring, but he still can lead the nation as he has transformed India into one of the largest democracies, and one of the fastest growing economies.

Responsibility is an instrumental trait in good leaders. One of the fastest and surest way to get people's support is to show that you are responsible, and will take charge in a disaster. Leaders who hide during a disaster, and leave their supporter to suffer are viewed as cowards, and will not get support from the people too. Harry Truman's desk has a famous sign which reads 'The Buck Stops Here', meaning that he will take all the responsibility, and not pass it to someone else. Even though charisma gives leaders the extra edge over others, followers still will support leaders with good characteristics.

Apart from all these, perseverance is also found in good leaders. Abram Lincoln was born in bad conditions; he lived in a log cabin a mile away from the nearest source of water, and his Brother, Sister, and Mother died at an early age. In spite of this, he persevered, and did not give up. Everyone faces difficulties, and hardships, and if a leader does not persevere, he will be viewed as his supporters as 'weak'.

My verdict? Charisma is important, but other factors contribute even more to good leadership. Charisma is like icing on a cake, while the actions that a leader takes is the main body of the cake; charisma makes the cake nicer, but what actually counts is the main part of the cake.