There are several ways to improve your ability to attract command and maintain success personally and professionally through the examples of historical figures.
Here are five ways to enhance your charisma through these models:
Develop a compelling plan and strategy. A major driving force for charismatic leaders is their ability to implement a plan stemming from an overarching mission. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a compelling plan to desegregate institutions within the United States and used marketing strategies through the media, celebrities and public outcry to draw attention to his mission.
Become a voracious reader. Charismatic leaders have a preternatural desire for acquiring more and more information and knowledge. Former President Bill Clinton reportedly reads up to five books at a time.
Cultivate your speaking skills. Charismatic leaders speak with a great deal of passion, clarity and action. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has the ability to speak to an audience and maintain rapt attention for hours. His use of current events, controversial topics and a clear understanding of the psychodynamics of his audience make his speeches riveting and mesmerizing.
Think and act differently. Charismatic leaders dance to the beat of their own drum. Whether basketball great Michael Jordan was wearing NBA banned multicolored sneakers, sporting a bald head or flying to the basket from the foul line, he consistently demonstrated the power of thinking and acting from one’s own perspective.
Take risks. Charismatic leaders are known for taking calculated risks. The late and legendary engineer and automotive executive John DeLorean created the sports car, the DeLorean. His larger-than-life personality was equal to his ambition. Without great risks, sometimes at great cost, the name DeLorean would be among the pantheon of car designers unknown to the world, but whose designs became iconic.
For more information, visit: Charisma
Showing posts with label john de lorean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john de lorean. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Special Assignments Require Charismatic Leadership, but There Are Limitations
Pundits and laymen often weigh in on the virtues and vices of charisma. Advocates of charisma look for tools and new information to be more engaging and magnetic. Invariably, these individuals desire distinction and recognition in an insipid and calamitous world. While adherents chase this illustrious trait and its manifestation, the downside of charisma is often misunderstood. It’s like the aspiring celebrity who once lied awake at night dreaming about millions of adoring fans in his first silver screen premier. The pomp and pageantry was palpable. Finally, the day arrived and that walk on the Red Carpet was just what he imagined. Now, his life is not his own. He has become property of the public where the loss of privacy is the price for fame and fortune. Of course, the fantasy is always better than reality. His current histrionics involve anything from throwing a phone across a crowded room to physical altercations with the paparazzi. The downside of fame and fortune seemed more manageable in the dream. In this instance, the actor chose his fate.
Conversely, true charismatic personalities are a combination of biological predisposition and environmental influences. Arguably, they didn’t consciously choose the dynamics that formed them. When charismatic personalities are exhibiting great oratory, colorful dialog and the ability for great interpersonal connections, they are demonstrating the affectation of charisma.
But, what is the less glamorous side of charismatic leadership? Is it true that charismatic leaders often have a high attrition rate among adherents? Are charismatic leaders often fired or summarily dismissed from positions and projects they were initially recruited to lead? The Mega church, World Changers headed by Dr. Creflo Dollar in College Park, Georgia is an excellent example of the vagary of charismatic leadership. Florence Duncan, a former World Changers member said, “"World Changers teaches a theology and doctrine that people want to hear… There's nothing wrong with wanting to prosper, but to present that as the central core of the teachings of Christianity is a deception and lie. I'd say that they would have just about as much chance of gaining abundant prosperity by purchasing a lottery ticket”(Sherrell, 1997, para. 32). Another former church member, Demetrius King said “I thought it could work...It sounds good and you would want it to work. It's as simple as one, two three -- tithe and you will prosper”(Sherrell, 1997, para 30). Reportedly, King left the church after his financial situation didn’t improve.
Charismatic leaders are adept at getting specific goals completed, but the challenge comes with the inability to manage the expectations of adherents. To this extent, charismatic leadership is a “double edged sword.” On one side, adherents hear and feel the direction of the charismatic leader and want to contribute to bringing the vision to fruition. On the other side, when tasks seem insurmountable, take too long or isn’t happening specifically as the charismatic leaders has proposed, disillusion, discontentment and disenchantment sets in. Thus the adherent leaves the organization and another hopeful convert takes his place. The shortsightedness of the charismatic leader shows his ability to inspire, but not acknowledge the limitations and co-dependency of his followers.
When charismatic personalities are rising stars within a company, the twinkle can often diminish. The late John Z. DeLorean was a star engineer at General Motors. DeLorean is credited for creating the Pontiac GTO, Pontiac Firebird and DeLorean DMC-12 sports car. “DeLorean always claimed he had fired General Motors, but it was actually the other way around: GM had fired him, basically because power had gone to his head, and he was more interested in dating (and marrying) young blondes in California than he was in the boring business of making cars. Even more importantly, he was no longer ‘making his numbers’ - an unforgivable sin for the suits in Detroit’” (Fallon, 2005, para 4).
Ousted Hewlett Packard (HP) CEO, Carly Fiorina is another example of the trappings of charisma. Fiorina was recruited by HP from Lucent Technologies Inc. in 1999. The following year, the company added chairman to her list of titles, making her the first woman to hold all three top posts — president, CEO and chairman — at a major computer company. Like DeLorean, as Fiorina began her quest to expand HP’s reach and competitive edge, dissenters pounced. Dr. James Owers, professor of finance at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and an expert on corporate reorganization said “She brought about a major acquisition, that, from the objective of those of us who look at corporate restructuring, had absolutely no merit. Combining H-P with Compaq appeared to be more an ego trip, not a business deal. Many of us are still saying, ’Where’s the rationale here?’”(AP, 2005, para 8).
Authorities on leadership are quick to criticize the Charismatic leadership model as possessing more show than substance. Extensive tomes have been written on the ideal leader as if this mythical figure exists in a vacuum. While there are effective tools to be garnered from most leadership models, charismatic leadership may be one of the only leadership models where there is very little demarcation between the model and the personality. Other leadership traits may be transferable or separated from the individual, but the Charismatic leadership model is inextricable from the individual.
The effectiveness of charismatic leadership will hinge on the dynamics and longevity of the situation. If traditional leadership models are hatchets, charismatic leadership is a scalpel. Timing and precision are everything in its degree of effectiveness.
References
Associated Press (AP).(2005 February 9). Hewlett Packard top executive ousted. msnbc.com: Retrieved from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6939785/
Fallon, I. (2005 March 22). John DeLorean: The man who fooled the world. The Independent: Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/john-delorean-the-man-who-fooled-the-world-529467.html
Sherrell, R. (1997 Dec. 6). Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International: Cult or Christianity. Creative Loafing: Retrieved from: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/d11.html
For more information, visit: Charisma
Conversely, true charismatic personalities are a combination of biological predisposition and environmental influences. Arguably, they didn’t consciously choose the dynamics that formed them. When charismatic personalities are exhibiting great oratory, colorful dialog and the ability for great interpersonal connections, they are demonstrating the affectation of charisma.
But, what is the less glamorous side of charismatic leadership? Is it true that charismatic leaders often have a high attrition rate among adherents? Are charismatic leaders often fired or summarily dismissed from positions and projects they were initially recruited to lead? The Mega church, World Changers headed by Dr. Creflo Dollar in College Park, Georgia is an excellent example of the vagary of charismatic leadership. Florence Duncan, a former World Changers member said, “"World Changers teaches a theology and doctrine that people want to hear… There's nothing wrong with wanting to prosper, but to present that as the central core of the teachings of Christianity is a deception and lie. I'd say that they would have just about as much chance of gaining abundant prosperity by purchasing a lottery ticket”(Sherrell, 1997, para. 32). Another former church member, Demetrius King said “I thought it could work...It sounds good and you would want it to work. It's as simple as one, two three -- tithe and you will prosper”(Sherrell, 1997, para 30). Reportedly, King left the church after his financial situation didn’t improve.
Charismatic leaders are adept at getting specific goals completed, but the challenge comes with the inability to manage the expectations of adherents. To this extent, charismatic leadership is a “double edged sword.” On one side, adherents hear and feel the direction of the charismatic leader and want to contribute to bringing the vision to fruition. On the other side, when tasks seem insurmountable, take too long or isn’t happening specifically as the charismatic leaders has proposed, disillusion, discontentment and disenchantment sets in. Thus the adherent leaves the organization and another hopeful convert takes his place. The shortsightedness of the charismatic leader shows his ability to inspire, but not acknowledge the limitations and co-dependency of his followers.
When charismatic personalities are rising stars within a company, the twinkle can often diminish. The late John Z. DeLorean was a star engineer at General Motors. DeLorean is credited for creating the Pontiac GTO, Pontiac Firebird and DeLorean DMC-12 sports car. “DeLorean always claimed he had fired General Motors, but it was actually the other way around: GM had fired him, basically because power had gone to his head, and he was more interested in dating (and marrying) young blondes in California than he was in the boring business of making cars. Even more importantly, he was no longer ‘making his numbers’ - an unforgivable sin for the suits in Detroit’” (Fallon, 2005, para 4).
Ousted Hewlett Packard (HP) CEO, Carly Fiorina is another example of the trappings of charisma. Fiorina was recruited by HP from Lucent Technologies Inc. in 1999. The following year, the company added chairman to her list of titles, making her the first woman to hold all three top posts — president, CEO and chairman — at a major computer company. Like DeLorean, as Fiorina began her quest to expand HP’s reach and competitive edge, dissenters pounced. Dr. James Owers, professor of finance at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and an expert on corporate reorganization said “She brought about a major acquisition, that, from the objective of those of us who look at corporate restructuring, had absolutely no merit. Combining H-P with Compaq appeared to be more an ego trip, not a business deal. Many of us are still saying, ’Where’s the rationale here?’”(AP, 2005, para 8).
Authorities on leadership are quick to criticize the Charismatic leadership model as possessing more show than substance. Extensive tomes have been written on the ideal leader as if this mythical figure exists in a vacuum. While there are effective tools to be garnered from most leadership models, charismatic leadership may be one of the only leadership models where there is very little demarcation between the model and the personality. Other leadership traits may be transferable or separated from the individual, but the Charismatic leadership model is inextricable from the individual.
The effectiveness of charismatic leadership will hinge on the dynamics and longevity of the situation. If traditional leadership models are hatchets, charismatic leadership is a scalpel. Timing and precision are everything in its degree of effectiveness.
References
Associated Press (AP).(2005 February 9). Hewlett Packard top executive ousted. msnbc.com: Retrieved from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6939785/
Fallon, I. (2005 March 22). John DeLorean: The man who fooled the world. The Independent: Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/john-delorean-the-man-who-fooled-the-world-529467.html
Sherrell, R. (1997 Dec. 6). Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International: Cult or Christianity. Creative Loafing: Retrieved from: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/d11.html
For more information, visit: Charisma
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Charisma Goes to Church: ONE is the Only Number!
We would be hard pressed in attempting to determine how many charismatic leaders exist in the world. Not only does the amount represent an incredibly small number, the actual criteria that individuals confer on charismatic leaders are subjective and whimsical. Even if two individuals can agree on which leaders are charismatic, they tend to disagree on the degree of their charisma. While this shouldn't matter much (charisma is as charisma does), the extent to which one follows one charismatic leader over another resonates with: The visceral message of the leader; and when the adherent feels a connection with the leader and his message. An unscientific observation would be the ministerial styles of Bishop Eddie Long of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia and Creflo Dollar of the World Changers Church in College Park, Georgia.
Both Pastors oversee a congregation well over 25,000. Their messages have attracted a cross section of the same demographics, mainly African-Americans who are upwardly mobile who have found a cultural as well as a socioeconomic connection between the two ministers. Dollar takes a more overt stand in supporting a prosperity gospel whereas Long shares similar viewpoints covertly, but with a stronger emphasis on the youth and hipper issues. While the two may have some semblance of the "ole time religion," they largely have tailored their message and thus their mission to a current congregation with contemporary issues. Although the two charismatic clerics have shared the same platform together, it would be interesting to know how many congregants visit the others church? If either congregation does not experience “flip flopping” of visitation, then what would be the reason?
Invariably, there are differences in the religious styles between the two, which tap into their congregational base. At a cursory view, it would be an educated guess that there isn't a lot of "flip flopping." The societal dictate of choosing one brand over the other does not stop even when dealing with spiritual matters. Western culture is steeped in brand ‘A’ being better than brand ‘B’. Consequently, the adherents of charismatic leaders choose the dominant clergy as category giants just as he or she chooses the dominant product in cereal, soap and toothpaste.
And so the charismatic leader chooses one segment in a population or topic and builds his base on that platform. Consequently, the "one size fits all" notion is cannibalized in the church under charismatic leadership as it is in the marketplace. Charismatic leaders find one mission, idea or product and push and promote that idea to attract adherents. It is deemed un-charismatic to not be identified with a salient message. Donald Trump is the quintessential real estate developer and is connected with opulence and grandeur. Lee Iaccoca is the savoir to Chrysler Corporation. Ted Turner is the innovator of CNN and the Superstation. John Delorean is the maverick behind a sports car. Whether clergy or businessperson, the methodology is similar.
Related: Charisma
Both Pastors oversee a congregation well over 25,000. Their messages have attracted a cross section of the same demographics, mainly African-Americans who are upwardly mobile who have found a cultural as well as a socioeconomic connection between the two ministers. Dollar takes a more overt stand in supporting a prosperity gospel whereas Long shares similar viewpoints covertly, but with a stronger emphasis on the youth and hipper issues. While the two may have some semblance of the "ole time religion," they largely have tailored their message and thus their mission to a current congregation with contemporary issues. Although the two charismatic clerics have shared the same platform together, it would be interesting to know how many congregants visit the others church? If either congregation does not experience “flip flopping” of visitation, then what would be the reason?
Invariably, there are differences in the religious styles between the two, which tap into their congregational base. At a cursory view, it would be an educated guess that there isn't a lot of "flip flopping." The societal dictate of choosing one brand over the other does not stop even when dealing with spiritual matters. Western culture is steeped in brand ‘A’ being better than brand ‘B’. Consequently, the adherents of charismatic leaders choose the dominant clergy as category giants just as he or she chooses the dominant product in cereal, soap and toothpaste.
And so the charismatic leader chooses one segment in a population or topic and builds his base on that platform. Consequently, the "one size fits all" notion is cannibalized in the church under charismatic leadership as it is in the marketplace. Charismatic leaders find one mission, idea or product and push and promote that idea to attract adherents. It is deemed un-charismatic to not be identified with a salient message. Donald Trump is the quintessential real estate developer and is connected with opulence and grandeur. Lee Iaccoca is the savoir to Chrysler Corporation. Ted Turner is the innovator of CNN and the Superstation. John Delorean is the maverick behind a sports car. Whether clergy or businessperson, the methodology is similar.
Related: Charisma
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