Compare and Contrast Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
Abstract
A leader is important as she helps the group in achieving its shared objective. It binds the group together and influences people to accomplish the shared goals. But, a leader may take different styles of leadership depending upon their personality and the situation. Transformational and charismatic leadership styles have been successful drivers in mobilising and influencing people. The paper attempts to understand the transformational and charismatic leadership styles and discuss the similarities and differences between them. The paper concludes that charisma is the key similarity between these leadership styles. But, they starkly differ in their basic focus, development of followers, degree of self-belief and effect on performance results.
Keywords: Transformational, charismatic, leadership style, influence, followers, self-belief, enthusiasm, vision
Compare and Contrast Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
Introduction
Leadership style is a subject that will never lose its charm and relevance in the politico-economic environment of a nation. A leader is one of steers and guides a group of people towards pre-determined goals, thereby playing an important role in accomplishing the group’s shared purpose. A group without a leader can lack cohesiveness, vision and clear demarcation of roles and responsibility, and is likely to fall without achieving the goal for which it was formed. Leaders use different styles of leadership to influence people in the intended direction of completing pre-decided task. Transformational and charismatic leadership are two styles that some of the great leaders have displayed and have been successful in mobilising people. Both these leadership styles resemble each other to a certain extent.
The paper attempts to understand the transformational and charismatic leadership styles and discuss the similarities and differences between them. The paper is broadly divided into three sections. The first section briefly describes the two leadership styles. The second section compares and contrasts the two leadership styles in detail, including examples. The third section concludes the paper.
Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
Transformational leadership is a leadership style that brings about progressive changes in the followers. The transformations leaders are usually characterised by their vision, dynamism, zeal and passion. These leaders are concerned about organisational objectives and processes, like other effective leaders, but they also emphasise on helping the team win. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers and transformational leaders garner trust, respect and admiration from their followers (Cherry, 2012). The four components of transformational leaders are their ability to influence, inspire, encourage novelty and give personal consideration. While their vision and foresightedness helps them perform well on technical aspects of the goal, the personality and people-focus of transformational leaders help them motivate people and attract following. These followers through admiration and respect deliver results for the leaders. These leaders are able to motivate their followers to deliver their maximum potential and be open to new ideas. Thus, transformational leadership is an effective leadership style that facilitates a positive and symbiotic relationship between the leader and the follower.
Charismatic leadership was first discussed by Max Weber (Judge, Woolf, Hurst and Livingston, 2006). As the name suggests, it is a style of leadership that gathers followers through charisma and charm of the leaders. Charismatic leaders have a powerful personality, which impresses and attracts the followers. According to Conger and Kanungo, charismatic leadership is typified by four key characteristics: possessing and articulating a vision, willingness to take risk, exhibit sensitivity to followers and demonstrate novel behaviour (Judge, Woolf, Hurst and Livingston, 2006). They are passionate and work relentlessly to achieve their goals. These traits help them gain trust and mass following. This style of leadership usually comes naturally to some leaders and is immensely powerful in gaining mass momentum. However, charismatic leaders have a potential to misuse their charisma for fulfilling their selfish ulterior motives and causing destructive results. As paraphrased from Shakespeare’s quotes, there is no good or bad leader but thinking makes it so (Judge, Woolf, Hurst and Livingston, 2006). Having briefly described the two leadership styles, the next section discusses the similarities and differences between the two.
Similarities and Differences: Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
The transformational and charismatic leadership styles are similar in various aspects, yet very dissimilar in others. This section attempts to compare and contrast between these two styles of leadership.
Similarities between Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
Charisma is the chief similarity between a transformational and a charismatic leader. Other similarities include their emphasis on involving people, ability to instil enthusiasm and trust, and vision clarity.
Both these styles of leadership give due emphasis on involving individuals to achieve their common objectives. They possess an inherent penchant for mobilising people and directing them towards the goals. These leaders strongly believe in the capability of their followers for achieving the common objectives.
Instilling enthusiasm and excitement in the group is another forte of transformational and charismatic leaders. These leaders display sensitivity to the needs of their followers, but set challenging tasks for their followers, exhibit belief in their followers’ capabilities and lead by example. They rule through their charisma, serve as role models for their followers and the followers are motivated to stretch their limits to please their leaders. Apart from enthusiasm, both these leaders are able to gain respect, trust and confidence of their people.
Both these styles of leaders have a clear vision and they articulate it well to their team members. These leaders possess effective communication skills and are able to set the agenda clearly to their followers. The vision is set in the people so strongly that they identify themselves as distinguished and distinct from the larger crowd. This distinction helps in forming a unified and cohesive team.
Differences between Transformational and Charismatic Leadership
The major differences in the two leadership styles are their basic focus, development of followers, degree of self-belief and effect on performance results.
Basic Focus
The major contrast between these leadership styles is the basic focus or intention of the leaders. Transformational leaders believe in transforming and empowering their followers in the process of achieving their goals. They have intentions to bring about positive change and transformations in their organisation and its people. The basic focus of a charismatic leader is self. They may appear to be well-intentioned and might display concern for the needs of its members, but may not really mean to change anything. Followers are a means to achieve their end results.
Development of Followers
Development of followers is the outcome of the basic focus of the leaders. Transformational leadership results in development of empowered followers who are able to add significant value to the shared purpose. Charismatic leadership does not encourage positive transformations in followers. In this case, the followers are completely dependent on their leaders and withdrawal of the leader can lead to breakdown of the organisation. While the former leadership style creates self-reliant followers, the latter is threatened by followers that become self-reliant and independent (Sahgal and Pathak, 2007).
While both transformational and charismatic leaders believe in themselves, the latter is over-absorbed in self. While the former are realistic in estimating their self-worth, the latter might show narcissistic qualities. They might believe that they can do no wrong, even when others are warning them about the path they are on; this feeling of invincibility can ruin a team or an organization (Mind Tools, 2012). They attach significant importance to their values and build their actions around them. Their self-esteem and self-concept is so high that they feel they are invincible. Their over confidence is a big risk in their way of being successful. This invincible attitude can be a boon as well as a threat to the society. Mahatma Gandhi was a charismatic leader who played important role in India’s struggle for freedom and Adolf Hitler is an example of destructive power of a charismatic leader (Frenz, 2012). Thus, a charismatic leader’s value system determines his constructive or destructive actions.
Effect on Performance Results
Since the basic focus is different in the two leadership styles, the outcome is also different. Transformational leadership helps develop second line of leadership, but no succession plan exists in charismatic style of leadership. The latter is feels endangered by followers who question and attempt to stand on their own. The former leads to a culture of innovative and more efficient way of doing things, while the latter may create blind followers. The latter may also cause group conflicts as some members of the group become favourites of their leaders. The former can function smoothly in the absence of their leaders, but the latter lack team stability and will dwindle and fall down without their leaders. Thus, the former is a win-win situation for the leader and the follower, but the latter may result in a win-win or win-lose leader-follower relationship.
Conclusion
The key similarity between transformational and charismatic leaders is their radiating charisma that attracts followers. Apart from their charisma, both lay emphasis on people involvement, instil enthusiasm and trust in them, and have a clear vision. Given the similarity in these visible traits, the leaders displaying the two leadership style appear alike. But, when observed closely, the basic essence of their leadership style differs substantially. The basic idea behind the transformational leadership style is the intended transformation of the followers and the organisation. It brings progressive changes in the followers and motivates them to innovate and become self-reliant. But, a charismatic leader is self-absorbed and does not have any intention to make transformations. The former results in a stable organisational structure, but the latter may lead to confusion and conflict among members, high dependence on the leader and lack of succession plan. Thus, people are rendered more vulnerable in charismatic leadership. Given the merits of transformational leadership, it can be more effective in bringing about progression change than charismatic leadership, though it may also depend upon the personality of leader and his or her situation. Charismatic leadership, if not contained within limits, can be destructive to the society.
References
Cherry, Kendra (2012). Transformational Leadership: What is transformational leadership? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm
Frenz, Roslyn (2012). Charismatic Leadership Theories. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_7416354_charismatic-leadership-theories.html
Judge, T.A., Woolf, E.F., Hurst, C. and Livingston, B. (2006). Charismatic and Transformational Leadership. Organizational Psychologie, 4, 203-214.
Mind Tools (2012). Leadership Styles: Choosing the Right Style for the Situation. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm
Sahgal P. and Pathak, A. (2007). Transformational Leaders: Their Socialization, Self-Concept and Shaping Experiences. The International Journal of Leadership Studies, 2 (3), 263-279.
