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Charisma can also be a negative if the leader becomes self-centered and
domineering. Charismatic leaders can fall into the trap of charming
themselves, a result of the heady recognition they get from the followers.
Furthermore, when an organization is no longer in the crisis that may have

brought this leader forward, the leader may attempt to cling to power,
which could drive other potential leaders away. When there is a lack of
concern or responsiveness to followers and constituents, the charismatic
leader can lose his/her luster.

Far too much emphasis today is placed on this elusive trait called charisma.
The person who can command attention and fire people up is not the only one who

can do the job. Leaders can quietly inspire through other means, such as technical
ability, insight, and honesty, as long as they are emotionally involved in what
they are doing. The long-term success of organizations will usually be
45
influenced, not by strong and charismatic leaders, but by leaders who can
build “learning organizations,” as described by Peter Senge, where people

are continually expanding their capabilities to shape their future.
46

Charismatic leadership can also create dependency among followers. This
may cause followers to assume that this leader has all the answers, and so
followers take less responsibility for themselves and for important
initiatives. The other side of this coin is that when charismatic leaders fail

in some manner, then their credibility suffers, together with the wellbeing
of the dependent followers. These failures can be the inability to
demonstrate innovation and responsibility to their followers, or
organizational goals are increasingly not met, or group effectiveness and
results are negatively impacted.

On the other hand, charismatic leaders are often better at creating and
stimulating necessary and sometimes swift change. Traditional leaders,
more correctly defined as “managers,” are frequently disposed toward
lower levels of risk, preferring to administer rather than to truly lead. They
are more inclined toward the pragmatic rather than the visionary. These

45 Lynch, Richard. Lead! How Public and Nonprofit Managers Can Bring Out the Best in Themselves and
Their Organizations (San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993), p. 101.
46 Senge, Peter. “The Leader’s New Work: Building Learning Organizations,” Sloan Management
Review, V32N1, (Fall 1990): 7-23.

David Kolzow 41