Charisma: A Double-Edged Sword
It is possible to assume that all charismatic leaders are good moral leaders that others should emulate. Remember that not all charismatic leaders are necessarily good leaders. One method of differentiating between positive and negative charisma is to consider the motives that are driving the charismatic leader’s behavior:
• Self-glorification: It influences one’s meaning in life by protecting, maintaining, and aggrandizing one’s self esteem. It is consistent with negative (destructive) charisma
• Self-transcendence: It provides meaning through supportive relationships with others. It is consistent with altruistic and empowering orientations of positive (constructive) charisma
Personalized Charismatic Leaders
Personalized Charismatic Leaders possesses a dominant, Machiavellian, and narcissistic personality. It pursues leader-driven goals and promote feelings of obedience, dependency, and submission in followers. It uses rewards and punishment to manipulate and control followers. It uses information to preserve the image of leader infallibility or to exaggerate external threats to the organization.
Socialized Charismatic Leaders
Socialized Charismatic Leaders possesses an egalitarian, self-transcendent, and empowering personality. It pursues organization-driven goals and promote feelings of empowerment, personal growth, and equal participation in followers. It uses rewards to reinforce behavior that is consistent with the vision and mission of the organization.