Do you think that charismatic leaders are more likely to emerge during times of crisis, and that it takes a crisis before we can perceive someone as a charismatic leader?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A considerable body of research suggests that leaders are more likely to be perceived as extraordinary, charismatic leaders when they help their followers handle a crisis or cope with a major change (Conger et al., 2000; Pillai, 1996). During times of change or crisis, most people may be confused, uncertain, anxious, and clueless about what to do. Someone who can take charge and solve a seemingly unsolvable problem is thus more likely to be seen as extraordinary. Routine, everyday meetings may also give leaders little opportunity to make value-laden, extraordinary statements. Soaring rhetoric may seem inappropriate in a meeting devoted to reordering staples and office supplies. This is one reason why after the 9/11 attacks that the use of charismatic language increased dramatically among American leaders—the situation now called for such a response (Bligh, Kohles, & Meindl, 2004).
An experimental study demonstrated that stressful situations and crisis situations can increase the perceptions that a leader is charismatic (Halverson, Murphy, & Riggio, 2004). The researchers had 55 groups (three people each) work on project planning tasks. In each group, one person was randomly assigned to be the leader. Half the groups had the bad luck to be in the stressful condition. Moreover, all of the groups experienced a crisis midway through the project. As expected, the leaders in the stressful condition rose to the occasion and were rated as more charismatic. Moreover, the introduction of the crisis boosted the ratings of the leaders in the nonstressful situation to be equivalent to that of the leaders who were already experiencing stress.
Although many charismatic leaders may support change, social groups that are resisting proposed changes may also perceive themselves to be in a crisis. Their way of life, their culture, their careers, or their standard of living may be threatened by the projected transformations. These groups may want a charismatic leader who can mount the defense against the undesirable changes (Levay, 2010). A study of leaders in a Scandinavian university hospital found that leaders who opposed dreaded changes were considered to be charismatic by their supporters (Levay, 2010).

However, many successful leaders who are widely regarded as charismatic are known more for their successes than for handling crisis. Entrepreneurs with personal charm who have astonishing success stories are often regarded as extraordinary and charismatic individuals. Thus, instead of a crisis environment, an environment of great entrepreneurial possibilities may allow leaders to develop grand visions with the promise of a considerably better future (Conger, 2011). During the hi-tech boom, thriving entrepreneurs were treated with rock-star like status and with the sort of reverential awe that most politicians can only dream of.