Understanding leadershipOctober 16, 2015

Understanding leadership – Part 5: Charismatic leaders and the "saviour archetype"

The leader as charismatic renewer

After the hero archetype, I turn to the related saviour. Styled as saviour, a leader becomes a charismatic renewer seeming to have supernatural powers, achieve the impossible and follow an unwavering vision. The charismatic owes no accountability; followers owe reverence. They become disciples; unconditional devotion—often to mutual downfall. Followers are enthused and swept along; leader and led form a "conspiratorial community" and (eternal) bond. They feel lucky to serve a leader who gives meaning to otherwise meaningless lives. The saviour theory has counterparts in companies.

High commitment of followers

Such relationships awaken "higher" motives and challenging self-set goals. Material incentives fade; inspiration replaces performance calculus: "I'll work overtime for my boss…" Total emotional identification with intrinsic motivation tempts employers.

Transformational leadership style

Hence research keeps centring the "charismatic leader"—transformational leadership since 1985 (Antonakis, Bennis, Stippler et al.). On closer view it is old wine in new skins: the trait approach with a charismatic figure who enthuses, identifies and motivates via vision—leading again depends only on the leader; staff appear as a grey mass animated by charisma. Trait approaches were rightly criticised in the 1950s (Brown 1956 quote on Hitler, Napoleon, industrialists lacking virtues). Companies still develop leaders along transformational lines; charisma remains top rank.

No secured recipe for good leadership

In 20+ years I found no practical criteria or fixed canon—orientation from Neuberger, Sprenger, Gührs/Nowak, Schulz von Thun, Baron/Kreps, Armstrong, Axelrod; micropolitics (Neuberger, Küpper/Ortmann, Bosetzky, Giddens) is essential. I send students and seminar leaders to find their own answers—fruitful for reflection and collective intelligence. Many questions remain. Next: how leadership relationships are maintained so "exiting the game" gets harder—focus on communication and human behaviour in social systems.

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