Dr. John Antonakis emphasizes the importance of going back to basics in research, leadership development, and leadership selection. The discussion covers topics such as the impact of charisma on adherence to guidelines, deliberate practice in leadership, integrating technology in leadership, innovative solutions in healthcare, and the necessity of sound research methods.
Governors giving charismatic speeches were found to positively impact physical distancing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A study analyzed speeches using deep neural networks to objectively measure charisma. It was observed that more charismatic governors led to increased physical distancing among the population, resulting in potentially saving thousands of lives. Charisma was identified as a significant factor influencing public compliance and behavior.
Misconceptions and Challenges in Charisma Research
The podcast delved into the misconceptions surrounding charisma research, highlighting a historical lack of clarity in defining and measuring charisma. Traditional studies relied on questionnaire measures, deemed inadequate for capturing the multifaceted nature of charisma. A shift towards objective measures, such as symbolic, emotional, and value-laden leader signaling, was emphasized. The conversation emphasized the need for accurate definitions and valid measurements in charisma research for impactful policy implications.
Learning Charisma and Leadership Development
Discussions revolved around the learnability of charisma, challenging stereotypes that charisma is an inherent trait. Experiments showed that individuals could develop charismatic behaviors through deliberate practice, utilizing storytelling, strategic framing, and effective delivery. The conversation underscored the importance of incorporating charismatic tactics in leader development programs to enhance leadership effectiveness and influence.
Technological Advancements in Leadership Research
The podcast explored the integration of technology, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, into leadership research. Conversations highlighted the potential of advanced technologies in providing real-time feedback and coaching for leadership development. Emphasis was placed on leveraging data analytics, behavioral measures, and cutting-edge technologies to enhance leadership assessment and training initiatives for more effective outcomes.
Revolutionizing Leadership Studies with Innovative Approaches
The episode concluded with a call to revolutionize leadership studies through rigorous experimentation and technology integration. Understanding the causal impacts of leadership interventions was emphasized for informed policy decisions. Leveraging advancements in econometrics, field experiments, and deep neural networks was proposed to address current challenges and improve leadership practices for future success.
John Antonakis believes that the key to moving forward is getting back to basics: "We need to go back to basics, do some clean experiments, use clean behavioral measures, and then we can build the scaffolding on firm concrete and not on Jell-O that we have right now." We had a great conversation about this and other areas of our field. I hope you enjoy it.
About Dr. John Antonakis
John Antonakis is a Full Professor of Organizational Behavior at HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne. His research focuses on predictors and outcomes of leadership, leadership development, psychometrics, and research methods.
He has published articles in many top journals such as Science, Psychological Science, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Journal of Operations Management, and Harvard Business Review. He has also published three books and 20 book chapters and has presented his research at dozens of conferences. He has received about 2.38 million Swiss Francs in funding for his research.
John is Editor in Chief of The Leadership Quarterly, and is on the editorial boards of many other top journals in management and applied psychology. He is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), as well as an elected member of the Society of Organizational Behaviour (SOB).
On Charismatic Leadership Theory - "All the literature was written in a very abstract way... there are a lot of theoretical accounts of charismatic leaders, but it wasn’t properly defined. It was defined as if it was undefinable."
"We said that charisma is basically symbolic, emotional, and value-laden...so values meaning that you speak about your morals, your values, what you’re defending. Symbolic means that you can speak in pictures, and emotion is that you can signal your emotions - your confidence, your emotional state, with your body, what you say, and on your face... These things are easy to observe, they’re easy to code objectively and easy to manipulate."
"The process of becoming a doctor requires that one studies medicine and then gets certified to practice and uses interventions that have been tested. This doesn’t happen in leadership. People become leaders for all sorts of reasons."
"We need to focus more on making the world of leaders selection more professional."
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
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