Did you know there are two sides of charismatic leadership called personalized and socialized charisma? Economic and social crises become a unique testing ground for charismatic leaders. These conditions of distress and uncertainty are ideal for the ascent of charismatic figures. Yet at the same time, we are more vulnerable to choosing the wrong leader.
Essentially, we have the leaders we deserve. As we collectively select and construct our leaders to satisfy our own needs and desires, we can choose humility or socialized charisma over narcissism. Find out how charismatic and often narcissistic leaders are selected due to our own unconscious bias and what to look out for!
Published in the HBR 7 April 2017
Margarita Mayo (margaritamayo.com) is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IE Business School in Madrid. She was recently featured on the Thinkers50 Radar as one of 30 thought leaders to watch in 2017. Her new book, Yours Truly: How to Stay True to Your Authentic Self in Leadership and Life will be published by Bloomsbury in 2018