How Charismatic Leaders Boost Motivation and Productivity within Organizations

Researchers are challenged to quantify how charismatic leaders enhance profits within an organization through productivity. The issue isn’t whether charismatic leaders help build morale, inspiration, and innovation to a company, but how these leaders increase employee productivity that leads to profitability.  Productivity and motivation are two mutually-related concepts, the latter fueling the former, while the former is the end result of the latter. Basically, productivity is a performance measure to show how an organization can effectively convert its resources into its intended products (or services).

Motivational productivity

This is related to how motivated a person is to perform a task (or activity). Worker enhancement programs are built on ways on how to motivate workers to optimize productivity.  Some organizations offer their workers sports and recreational activities, fitness and leisure activities and some family-oriented programs.  This comprehensive approach in enhancing worker performance may capitalize on quality measures like value, TQM (total quality management), quality circles, innovations and performance standards (profitability, efficiency, customer satisfaction, on-time delivery) and carries a wide range of personal and team rewards and incentives. Companies like Apple, which falls under the charismatic leadership model, create infrastructures (playful work areas, open space, and great eateries) that lend itself to employees gaining a high level of comfort, which leads to greater productivity.

MRT

MRT (mutual reward theory) is an incentive program where the organization assists an employee to reach his or her goals. This is accomplished while sill meeting the company’s production goals.

The greatest rewards are achieved when the benefits are at an optimum for all persons. Usually, productivity is directly proportional to the degree of success of MRT. Charismatic leaders want employees totally committed to the mission of the organization. Consequently, giving employees what they desire most is a way for achieving organizational objectives.

Productivity growth

Productivity growth is the measure of the amount of goods and services produced within a specific time period. First, a standard is determined. Next, that standard (or benchmark) becomes the measure against which all future productions are to be measured against.  In a country, the annual growth rate is being watched. Productivity growth rate is directly proportional to a person’s wealth. If the levels of productivity rise, so does a person’s buying power. The total economy in turn benefits from the increase.

Most valuable resource 

Most productivity researchers have agreed that the world’s most valuable resources are people.  It has been suggested that education and training are responsible for raising the levels of productivity of people.  Researchers further suggested that attaining expertise via education and training can be maximized by developing people who want to learn, work at their potential, and continuously improve.  For charismatic leaders, this cuts both ways. Employee development is designed for organizational productivity. Charismatic leaders feel a sense of betrayal when a trusted, loyal employee takes the investments afforded to him and leaves for a competitor.  For these leaders, the organization is a family dedicated to a mission.

Motivation 

When an employee is motivated to take pride in his work, that employee adds value to the organization. He will contribute to the overall productivity for himself, his organization, and the economy at large. The charismatic leader knows this emotionally and intellectually and will go the extra mile to ensure that “knowledge workers” are provided all of the essential resources necessary to increase productivity and profitability.  Under this model, any employee departures are seen as an ungrateful mutiny.  The charismatic leadership model is steeped in the idea that missions create communities. For the employee, he is not merely doing a job, he is recreating the world.

Under the charismatic leadership model, does a structured motivational environment coupled with inspiration increase profitability? Although these intangibles are difficult to measure, conventional wisdom suggests that they do. Only when employees are reminded that such environments are luxuries, not to be taken for granted, will employees further embrace the “specialness” of doing good and well simultaneously.

For more information for developing charismatic leadership traits that boost organizational productivity, visit: http://charismaticleadership.coreedgecharisma.com and http://coreedgehrworkforcesolutions.core-edge.com

Leadership Learning: The Real Costs of Not Doing Leadership Training

A purported study from the Business School at Oxford University in the UK found that British businesses and public sector organizations are wasting almost $140 million on executive education programs that are poorly conceived and delivered. The study went on to say that 35 percent of HR directors and 21 percent of other executives believed that their current training and development programs were meeting corporate strategic objectives. The bulk of the money was being spent on individually developed courses for senior executives.

If those businesses want to quit wasting all that money on ineffective management training, I know where they can get their monies worth. And it doesn't have anything to do with having more academics design special courses, events, and outings for senior staff. Why not spend the money on leadership training and development down in the trenches, where it will really do some good?

The fact is that front line leaders don't get much training at all and precious little of it is actually about leadership skills. Maybe that's because companies think they're saving money by not investing in front line leader training. True, there's no budget line item absorbing funds that might be spent on the executive dining room, or art for the CEO's office. But there are what economists call "opportunity costs," the costs of not training front line leaders. There's the opportunity cost of lost productivity. Good frontline leadership builds both morale and profitability.

There's the opportunity cost of lost leadership. Great companies develop most of their own leaders. If you have to go outside for leadership, you incur recruitment costs and transition costs.

Finally, there's the cost of lawsuits. Good frontline leadership creates organizations where lawsuits are less likely. And, if the company is sued over a supervision issue, defense will be easier if the leaders have been doing their jobs.

How about your company? Do you develop your own leaders? Do you help them develop the skills they need to improve morale and productivity and avoid lawsuits? Think about that the next time you consider the training budget.

For more information on leadership and professional development training, visit: Charisma

Leadership: Is It For You?

Leadership is something that is fundamentally part of a society. It is necessary in any good society that someone stands up and takes charge. Leadership is essential, we know that, but does that mean everyone out there is a leader? The fact of the matter is that some individuals are not made to be leaders. They are followers.  And just as important in society as leaders are followers.  So, where do you lie? Are you going to play leadership roles within your life? Or are you better served being a supportive follower?

For many people, the instincts to take those leadership roles just come to them. It is just something that happens. They step up to the plate when needed. They respond first in class. They take charge of the baseball game on the playground. They step up to the plate on the job. While you cannot be first in every case, individuals that have leadership skills will often be seen and heard throughout their lives.

But, not all leaders are born with this talent. Many of them must learn it. People with an ambition to be a leader can do so by taking classes and studying the necessary skills that it takes to be a leader. While all of this may sound simple, it can be quite a task to learn. It is hard to teach a person to react in a situation that is not planned well.

Because leaders are determined by their actions, we often see that leadership roles are filled with individuals who put themselves out there to be chosen, so to speak. But, this is not always the case. In many cases of emergency, leaders are those that take charge long before anyone else reacts. In that, these individuals will have a cool head about themselves and be able to see the necessary work ahead while others are worrying, panicking or simply in shock. These are probably the true leaders in our society.

You don’t have to claim leadership to be a leader, you only have to take on the roles and responsibilities others will not assume.  Because it is easier to reap the benefits of another’s efforts and never lead, leadership skills will always be in demand.

For information on effective leadership and communications, visit: Charisma

Becoming More Charismatic: How to Overcome Nervousness When You Speak In Public

 Even if the speech you have is already prepared and you know everything about it, public speaking can be difficult. Many people are very nervous when they speak in public. Here are some tips for you to overcome your nervous feelings when you speak in front of many people.

Preparing your presentation

1. Center on yourself. Try practicing standing properly – with your feet under the hips directly. This position is the best and most stable for speaking in public. Rehearse this position with somebody or in front of your mirror.

2. Your shoulders should be relaxed. The muscles in the shoulders support directly your larynx, so it has a fast effect on your voice. Shoulders should be rolled out.

3. Warming up the voice. You should treat all your presentations as if they were performances. Charismatic leaders know that people are moved emotionally way before they are moved intellectually.  Prepare yourself by rehearsing. Deeply breathe into the bottom part of the lungs. You feel your rib cage is expanding slightly higher than the navel. You should thrice sigh. Sighing is your signal to the body that everything is okay and it is just perfect to relax. Then make a siren sound, starting from a high note to a lower note at the bottom part of the voice range you have. With enough practice, you will be able to find the low note connecting to the place located right above the navel. This is the natural voice pitch that you have.

Managing meeting skills

1. Directing your voice. Every time you speak, imagine that each word you say is like a beam of laser traveling from your mouth to the end person listening to you. Practice this outlook to be able to reach many people at the same time.

2. Directing your thoughts. Pay attention to your thoughts, especially their beginnings and endings. Make your communication complete and fully rounded.

3. Diction as well as articulation. Convey clearly your message.

During questions

1. Give yourself time and space in breathing.

2. Before answering, slightly breathe out first. When you are flustered or nervous, you usually take in more additional air than you need, and you hold onto that air while you try to think. However, this is not helping you. Usually, this method causes you to panic. Remove this habit by breathing air first before you speak, allowing you to relax and thoughts to come in clearly and more logically.

To get free reports on persuasive speaking like charismatic leaders, visit: http://persuasivespeech.coreedgecharisma.com and http://plr.coreedgeprivatelabelrights.com

Simple Leadership Basics

A great cloud of jargon, debate, and junk theory surrounds the idea of leadership, what it is, who does it, and how to do it well. But if you have just been promoted, and you're responsible for a group for the first time, there are only a few things you really need to know about leadership.

When you get promoted and become responsible for the performance of a group you become a leader. But you don't undergo some magical change. In fact, it will probably take you over a year to completely adjust to your new role.

You're a leader because the people in your group treat you like one. The only choice you have is what kind of job you'll do.

 As an individual contributor, you just have to decide to work harder, longer or smarter to improve performance. When you're responsible for the performance of a group, the group is your destiny. They choose whether to act or not.

When you become a leader, your influence goes up. The people who work for you pay attention to what you say and do. They adjust their behavior accordingly.

The result is that you use your behavior (what you say and do) to influence the behavior of the people who work for you to achieve a defined objective.

Achieving the objective is part of your job as a leader. The other part is caring for your people.

It may be possible to achieve good short term results without caring for your people. But you can't achieve long term success for you or your company without the willing cooperation of the best folks you can find.

At the end of the day, you can measure your leadership based on those two standards. Did we accomplish the mission? Are the members of my group better off today than yesterday?

You can find out more about all of this and learn it almost effortlessly from my digital book, How to Use Charisma, Persuasion, and Influence to Develop Your Leadership Skills, visit:  Charisma

Leadership Is Action... Not Position

People respond to good leadership! Period! It is in all aspects of our lives, not just business.  A mother is a leader in her home; a son may be leader of a team sport or a daughter the leader of the debate team. A group relies on the person in charge to actually lead them to success. A true leader is highly ethical, honest and respected.

In our society we have leaders and followers.  Are we born to one or the other? No! Can you hone your leadership skills? Absolutely!

The leaders that I admire seem to have all of these in place:

a) They think BIG! They don’t put a ceiling in place.  Instead, no limit is set as to how big or how much better something can be.

b) The goals are firmly set in place and the eye does not come off of it.

c) They make known to all involved the final product that they are all going for, example, if you sell widgets, it takes x number of widgets to be affluent, or you want to win that football game and ultimately the title.  Know what you’re going for.

d) They can get compliance to orders.

e) When goals are met they set new goals or raise the bar.  People will follow your lead willingly if you are honest, ethical, if you are consistent and treat them with respect.  Rewarding someone when a job is well done is always appreciated.  A good leader will also dismiss someone who consistently hinders the group or just not a team player.

You can improve your own self- respect and become an inspiration to others. How great is that!

For more information on developing your leadership skills, visit: Charisma

How to Unleash All Your Leadership Potential

There is a steady flow of information in the form of books, articles, white papers, and training all in the context of "what is leadership" or "how to develop a leader?"  In this issue, I will avoid those two questions and write about two others that I believe might be on the minds of a lot you readers and they are:

Why does better leadership make a difference? and

How does better leadership achieve those differences?

Leadership is a highly unique form of human behavior that requires the integration of character, knowledge, and experience.  So what can you do if you step up and unleash your leadership potential? Change the world.

Your journey to unleashing your leadership potential begins with a great understanding of self. Discover your personality traits and how they relate to leadership. When we know ourselves, we can maximize our positive traits, and become aware of our weaker areas, which help us to achieve our leadership potential.  Once you understand and know yourself, next you must hone your communication skills. These are not limited to your public speaking skills either. This includes your writing style and your body language.  Your ability to communicate effectively enhances your ability to improve interpersonal relationships.  Another important skill is to learn how to learn.  Examine different teaching methods and learning styles to identify how you and those you may lead learn best.  This skill will greatly enhance your ability to make decisions and give clear instructions.  Charismatic leaders are unusually aware of their strengths and weaknesses and create great missions around building on the former and transforming the latter.

An Exceptional Leader is one that recognizes the value of harnessing the skills and abilities of team members and leads them toward greater efficiency and effectiveness.

...And so leader is not a title and leadership is not something you are born into. Leadership is something you develop.

This is what Dr. Ken Blanchard, in his book "The Heart of a Leader" had to say about good leaders; "If you want to know why your people are not performing well, step up to the mirror and take a peek."

For more information for improving your leadership skills, visit: Charisma

Blueprint for Leadership - How to Be a Better Leader

If you were to build a house, you would begin with a blueprint. This blueprint proves useful because it contains more than directions on how to build a house.  It also describes the finished house. So, what does this have to do with leadership?

Last month I asked an audience of leaders to tell me the characteristics of an ideal leader. Their answers were (in the order collected):

A good listener, enthusiasm, passion, shows appreciation, a visionary, role model, trusting, integrity, organized, knowledgeable, credibility, persuasive, charisma, team building, clarity of purpose, problem solver, attitude of service, leads by example, patience, willing to act without complete knowledge, understands followers, consistent, empowers other people, and adapts to change.

I'll add that this is essentially the same list that I receive from other audiences when I ask this question. From this come some useful insights.

1) Notice what the list contains. All of these characteristics relate to the human side of leadership. That's interesting because I often hear people minimize this side of leadership with terms like "soft" or "touchy feely." Actually, applying these characteristics requires more strength than not.

2) Notice what the list excludes. Absent from this list (and all lists from other programs) are characteristics such as stern, mean, serious, short tempered, vindictive, tough, angry, harsh, punitive, controlling, violent, or ruthless. And that's interesting because many popular representations of leadership emphasize at least one of these "hard" characteristics. In fact, these characteristics are the refuge of those who lack the strength (or the skills) to apply the human side of leadership.

3) How about you? How would you rate yourself as a leader compared to the list of positive characteristics? If you were to survey the people who report to you, how would they describe your leadership? Would they list characteristics from the "soft" list or from the "hard" list? Could you become more effective by improving upon any of the "soft" characteristics? And how about the other leaders in your organization? Do they truly maximize human potential?

People want leaders who treat them with genuine compassion, courtesy, and respect. They want leaders who help them become more successful. They want leaders who inspire them with a vision for a better world and show them how to get there.

For more information on a special brand of leadership, visit: Charisma

Adding Charisma to Your Presentations by Developing a Dynamic Story

Story telling is a very effective way to get your point across. Here are some tips to help you develop a dynamic powerful story to become more charismatic.

•Decide on the purpose for the story. What is the main point you want to make? Slant the telling of the story so that that point is clear.

•Create the backdrop. Describe the scene so that the audience can picture it in their minds. What is the time, location, weather? What is going on emotionally, physically, or spiritually?

•Introduce the main characters. Help your audience to picture the important characters through detailed descriptions. Become them; describe their relationships, quirks and personality. Add character voices or mannerisms to make them different from your own.

•Begin the Journey. What is the task, the goal, and the journey to take? What are the challenges that need to be faced?

•Meet the obstacle. To avoid boredom something must happen to get in your way and make it interesting. This could be a person, a self limiting belief, or a challenge to overcome. Exaggeration will add humor.

•Overcome the obstacles. What had to be done to overcome the obstacle? What inner resources did you have to summon? Did someone help you? A hero? Be specific. Break your solution down into a few steps in sequence. This is where the teaching happens.

•Resolve the story. How did everything turn out? Tie up the loose ends-what happened to the other people? To your hero?

•Make the point. A story needs one clear point to have more points confuses the issue. Write out and memorize the point, work on the words to make it simple and easy to remember. Find “the phrase that pays”.

•Ask the question. Make your story personal to the audience. “Has that ever happened to you?” Turn the main point into a question. Push their buttons!

•Practice, practice, practice. Tell your stories to anyone who is willing to listen. Get feedback and make adjustments accordingly. Remember people are emotionally driven and storytelling helps you draw them in becoming more magnetic.

For more tips for speaking with charisma and persuasion, visit: http://persuasivespeech.coreedgecharisma.com

Why Are Charismatic Leaders Often Alpha Males?

Edward Brown, M.S., of Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute provides questions and answers about how and why charismatic leaders are often viewed as Alpha males.

Q: This is almost a “no brainer,” but are charismatic leaders typically Alpha males?

Brown: First, it behooves me to define what an Alpha male is. Dictionary.com defines an Alpha male as “The dominant male animal or person in a group.” Consequently, since the charismatic leader will often be the dominant personality in a group or organization, he will typically be an Alpha male.

Q: Is this dominance mental or physical?

Brown: Often, it may be either or both. Essentially, the charismatic leader sets the course of a mission or crusade and people basically fall in line due to the force and passion of the charismatic leader’s personality.

Q: Since this seems to hinge on influence and persuasion in civil societies, the Alpha male will have to use more brain than brawn. Do you agree?

Brown: Absolutely. As a matter of fact, the charismatic leader as Alpha male would have less or at least short term success, if he relied on force as a legitimate means for establishing and maintaining power.

Q: Since people often demand consensus and an equal voice in decisions, how effective is the Alpha male trait in charismatic leaders for consensus building?

Brown: It depends on the situation and who is willing to assume responsibility for achieving a goal.  The operative word is “voice.” It does not mean that merely having a voice carries any real power. A child can have a tantrum, but at the end of the day, he’s going to do what his parents tell him to do. Voices and tantrums are great stress relievers, but they don’t convey any real power. Someone still has to rally the people to get things done.  Typically, accomplishing this feat will not be done by the masses.

Q: So, are you saying that the masses are children and the Alpha male (charismatic leader) is the parent?

Brown: In some respect, yes. Many people cannot even govern their own lives, how could they possibly govern others? The charismatic leader as Alpha male is willing to make decisions and assume the responsibilities for ensuring an idea moves from plan to practice. Just like children, the masses like leisure and play, but not the responsibilities in life that require accountability. Any challenges in society that have gone unresolved, often will be addressed by someone courageous and forceful enough to find solutions. This individual is often a charismatic leader.

Related: Charisma

How Charismatic Leaders Use Personalized Charisma

Edward Brown, M.S., of Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute provides questions and answers on when and why charismatic leaders use personalized charisma.

Q: First of all, what is personalized charisma?

Brown: Andrew J. Dubrin in his book, “Leadership Research Findings, Practice and Skills,” defined personalized charisma as a means of a leader utilizing their persuasive powers for personal gain.

Q: That sounds manipulative, how is this important to students of charismatic leadership?

Brown: Because charismatic leadership is the predominate leadership model where sheer personality is its effectiveness, a charismatic leader has to use highly advanced interpersonal relationship skills to get things done. The charismatic leader is not afforded nepotism or job promotion in leading a mission or crusade. Consequently, manipulation might be necessary to affect a desired outcome.

Q: Is this where charismatic leadership gets its bad reputation?

Brown: To a large degree, yes.  However, the act of manipulation speaks to the naiveté of individuals as opposed to anything a charismatic leader does.

Q: How so? What do you mean?

Brown: How many times have you tried to persuade someone to act in a way that benefits society as a whole? If people are basically selfish and motivated by self-interest, what evidence can be provided that suggests that people are inclined to do the right thing for the good of society without some level of persuasion? Without religion, government, and laws, we would have total chaos. We have these institutions in place and still crime is rampant in the U.S., the freest country in the world.

Q: Your point is clear, but isn’t the secret to manipulation lost once you reveal its motivation?

Brown: On the contrary!  The hard-wiring for people to believe in hope or something bigger than themselves makes the manipulation process viable.  I heard a minister once say that if he found out that there was no God, he would continue worshipping God anyway. He received an “Amen” from his congregation, but how logical is such proclamations?

Q: Are you excusing the manipulation of charismatic leaders, because people have faith and need to find hope where they can?

Brown: I don’t attribute negative connotations to words like “manipulation” or “self-interest.” When a politician, you haven’t seen in four years, kisses your baby on live TV during a reelection campaign, do you vote for him because of his political platform or because he made your family celebrities for 15 minutes? In most cases, individuals don’t even know the platform issues of politicians. You don’t vote for a politician necessarily because of his views, you vote based on how he makes you feel.  Your self-interest on feeling good is more important than a politician’s views.  

Q: So, what’s the answer?

Brown: The French philosopher Rousseau said that humans ceased to be whole as soon as they were touched by civilization.  Every day we all are persuaded, influenced, or manipulated on some level. The point is not to deny this reality, but to be vigilant when persuasion, influence, and manipulation act contrary to our self-interest.  Even charismatic leaders cannot act contrary to the will of the people without the people’s permission.

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Do You Have to Change Your Personality to Be a Charismatic Leader?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Charismatic Leaders

On the late John Z. Delorean, inventor of the Pontiac GTO and Firebird as well as the DeLorean sports car:

 John DeLorean never cared to fit the mold of a typical Detroit auto executive.  He was a young, free-spirited maverick that revolutionized the auto industry as the major force behind America’s first muscle car– the Pontiac GTO.  He was thought of as a hippie by his older peers for his longish, shaggy hair, and rebellious attitude.  But what they didn’t understand was that DeLorean had his finger on the pulse of youth and trend in a way that no one else did.  He had an uncanny ability to tap into the music, events and attitudes of the time and mine it for nuggets that translated to top-line success.  As the young DeLorean’s star rose, he supposedly walked away from his $650,000 salary at GM and decided to go it on his own.  

Reference(s)

Nerves of Stainless Steel/auto maverick John DeLorean. (2009 May 29). The Selvedge Yard.   Retreived from: http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/nerves-of-stainless-steel-auto-maverick-john-delorean/

On the late Steve Jobs of Apple:

One thing he wasn't, though, was perfect. Indeed there were things Jobs did while at Apple that were deeply disturbing. Rude, dismissive, hostile, spiteful: Apple employees—the ones not bound by confidentiality agreements—have had a different story to tell over the years about Jobs and the bullying, manipulation and fear that followed him around Apple. Jobs contributed to global problems, too. Apple's success has been built literally on the backs of Chinese workers, many of them children and all of them enduring long shifts and the specter of brutal penalties for mistakes. And, for all his talk of enabling individual expression, Jobs imposed paranoid rules that centralized control of who could say what on his devices and in his company.

Reference(s)

Tate, B. (2011 Oct. 7). What Everyone Is Too Polite to Say About Steve Jobs. Gawker. Retrieved from: http://gawker.com/5847344

On basketball great Michael Jordan:

Call it ruthless, but this type of narrow-focused mindset is what leads to championships. To MJ, the process of attacking and outmatching the game’s other great players was as important as the resulting hardware on his finger. Forming alliances and creating epic rosters were out of the question. Michael explains, “If I’m trying to get to the top, if Patrick Ewing is in the way, we’re best of friends, [but] he’s still going to be the second place finisher.”

Reference(s)

Staph, J. (2010 Nov. 1). Michael Jordan: The Mind and Muscle of a Champion. Stack. Retrieved from: http://magazine.stack.com/TheIssue/Article/7845/Michael_Jordan_The_Mind_and_Muscle_of_a_Champion.aspx

On scientist Craig Venter, one of the first to sequence the human genome:

Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, said "It's very easy to mock Venter.  When he first appeared, people just kind of sneered at him. But they stopped sneering when they saw his brilliance in realizing that the genome was not a problem of chemistry but a problem of computer power. I don't think anybody can deny that that was a monumental achievement and he has been doing fantastically interesting things subsequently with marine life. Having said that, though, the man is clearly a bit of a prick and one with a serial addiction to publicity."

Reference(s)

Adams, T. (2012 May 22). Craig Venter: The dazzling showman of science. The Guardian/The Observers. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/may/23/observer-profile-craig-venter

On the late daredevil Evel Knievel:

In addition to making an indelible impact on a generation of kids, Knievel also made an impact on popular culture. His stunts broke television viewership records as often as he broke bones. He inspired songs, merchandise and imitators and he even helped introduce motorcycles to mainstream American audiences.

But while Knievel is well-known for his stunts and fame, his life had darker patches as well. Years of abuse took their toll on Knievel's body, and his personal life seemed to endure almost as many crashes as he did. When it comes down to it, Evel Knievel was as much a daredevil in his personal life as he was in his professional one.

Reference(s)

Deaton, J.P. (n.d). How Evel Knievel Worked. How Stuff Works. Retrieved from:  http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/motorsports/evel-knievel.htm

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Key Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders

Charismatic Leadership Versus Consensus (Participative) Style Leadership

How Charismatic Leaders Develop Revolutions (Movements)

Is Charisma Important for Leadership?

While some great leaders have been charismatic, charisma is not a necessary ingredient for great leadership. Charisma is a by-product of personality predisposition and socialization, which can be a rare combination. That's the good news! If society had to rely on pure charisma to advance its cause, its cause would be dead. Acronyms and quick quips may be tools used by charismatic personalities, but they don't lead to becoming more charismatic--just the appearance of it. Patterns of charismatic personalities usually entail early social ostracizing, a sense of mission built on a perceived injustice, ego and an inquisitive nature steeped in recreating reality. This is a far cry from standing erect, smiling confidently and remaining calm under pressure. If the manifestation of charisma made people charismatic, it would be a simple process and then charisma wouldn't be so rare.

For more information, visit: Charisma

Authentic Leadership: Historical or Histrionic?

As a student of the various forms of leadership that have entered the pantheon of human existence, specifically, the Charismatic Leadership Model, it's marveling that we're still looking for the ideal leadership model. The leaders that are often cononized from Mother Theresa to Martin Luther King, Jr., got me thinking about what people really want in leadership. Do people really want authentic leadership? And if so, does authentic leadership play well in the media? The two questions may be rhetorical or at least fodder for thought. But, it does seem that authenticity is a fleeting term when scrutinized under klieg lights. For example, it has often been said that history repeats itself. This is a natural form of the cyclical dynamics of humanism. But what happens when history replicates itself as a concerted effort by individuals attempting to manifest a specific outcome. In William Duggan's "The Art of What Works," his salient point is that by looking at what has worked successfully in the past, the chances are great that similar methods will work successfully in the present. The final Obama-McCain presidential debate was nothing more than the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate updated to reflect contemporary sentiments in style and thought. Like the 1960 debate, did camera angles favor Obama over McCain? It's challenging to talk about "authenticity" in a media-centric society without checking the mirror to insure one's hair is not out of place. In Maureen Orth's, "The Importance of Being Famous…," she coins the phrase "Celebrity Industrial Complex" where the actors on the world stage play to the appetite of the populous. If history is our guide, true authentic leadership from Jesus to Julius Caesar has ended with the citizenry slaying the leader and later deifying his relevance.

For more information, visit: Charisma