The Science of Personality Podcast The Dark Side of Charisma
Oct 6, 2020
Rob Kaiser, an organizational psychologist and president of Kaiser Leadership Solutions, dives into the intriguing world of charisma and leadership. He explores how charismatics can soar to leadership but may falter in execution, citing the dramatic rise and fall of WeWork's Adam Neumann as a cautionary tale. Kaiser offers valuable insights on balancing charisma with humility, highlighting historical leaders who embodied both traits. He discusses practical coaching strategies to help quieter leaders gain influence authentically. This conversation unpacks the complexities behind charisma's allure and pitfalls.
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Charisma Can Mask Poor Judgment
- Charisma can seduce followers into deferring and abandoning critical thinking.
- Without a purpose larger than the leader, charisma risks becoming manipulation or ego-driven self-interest.
Too Much Charisma Harms Effectiveness
- Moderate charisma boosts perceived effectiveness while extreme charisma correlates with lower effectiveness.
- The link between charisma and effectiveness follows an inverted U-shaped curve in their research.
Charisma Inflates Self-Perception
- Highly charismatic leaders often overrate their own effectiveness while others see declines.
- Rob calls the widening self/others gap the "gradient of delusion."
