Managers Must Have Both Charisma and Substance for Effective Leadership (12/31)

Managers Must Have Both Charisma and Substance for Effective Leadership

Research reveals supervisors with "charismatic" leadership qualities elicit off-the-charts performance from their subordinates. However, management gurus warn that charm alone isn't enough to cause an increase in employee productivity. Penn State management professor John J. Sosik authored the study, which finds that employees quickly see through self-centered managers who value image over substance. Further research reveals charismatic leadership is complex and closely aligned with another current trend: emotional intelligence (EQ).

According to the study, charismatic managers elicit strong emotional responses from their subordinates, prompting them to put forth extra effort to ensure the success of their supervisor and their organization. Sosik's first-of-its-kind survey examines specific aspects of EQ associated with charismatic leaders.

"Our results suggest that creating a charismatic image requires a leader not only to display good charismatic form, but to also have substance," explains Sosik, who co-authored the study with Penn State graduate Anne C. Dworakivsky. "Leaders of substance, for instance, have knowledge grounded in basic truths, competence and ethics. They have good character, meaning a strong pro-social purpose in life, rather than a self-centered one. These are vital qualities for charismatic leadership and for the enhanced performance it creates. They are also key characteristics of people with high EQ," he explains.

Ray Silverstein, business consultant and founder of the Chicago-based President's Resource Organization, an association of business owners who share insights, agrees wholeheartedly with the new research. "No matter how delicious the aroma is or how great a steak looks, it's the taste that counts," says Silverstein.

So can you make yourself into a charismatic manager overnight? "Not likely," says Sosik, citing Margaret Thatcher and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as examples of charismatic leaders. "You've got to believe strongly in your mission, have a vision and an overarching purpose in life."

Sosik says this study is important to businesses of all sizes because charismatic leadership has been shown to bring about the highest levels of individual, group and unit performance in organizations. "So companies should consider using aspects of EQ to screen managerial candidates for the egocentric and self-aggrandizing values often found in people with little life purpose," he explains.

"We all know people and politicians who have very engaging personalities, but seem to lack conviction apart from their own agendas. It may sound idealistic, but our research shows that people are not fooled by these kinds of personalities," he explains. "And thus, they aren't willing to go the extra mile."

Other characteristics charismatic leaders often share include self-confidence, determination, self-control, self-awareness and a need for power. They are often perceived as trustworthy, as well as being strong role models who are admired and respected, the study reveals. "It is possible for companies to help junior managers develop more of the qualities that lead to charismatic leadership, but such training must be undertaken very carefully," Sosik adds. "It's important to focus on charisma as accumulated wisdom, i.e., knowledge grounded in basic truths, competence and ethics, and to be wary of training for style."

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