Leadership Charismatic Leaders the Four

Leadership

Charismatic Leaders

The four influence tactics charismatic leaders are most likely to use are deliberate Machiavellianism, gentle manipulation of people and situations, undue pressure, and debasement. Charismatic leaders must have power and control, and each of these influence tactics create power and control over others in a negative and self-serving way. Deliberate Machiavellianism uses power and deceit as justified types of management, and it debases and demoralizes the people underneath this type of leader. This leader feels justified in whatever they do, as long as it serves their own purposes, and so, they use any means possible to gain control and power. Gentle manipulation of people and situations continues this propensity to act in a self-serving way, rather than creating a healthy team environment that serves the entire group. Charismatic leaders are not concerned about how others appear, only how they appear, and so they will manipulate people and situations to get the outcome the want.

Undue pressure is also another tactic that helps the charismatic leader retain control. Undue pressure on others takes the stress off the leader and places it somewhere else. If that person cannot handle the stress, it only serves to make the leader look better and more in control of their own responsibilities. This "passing the buck" mentality is also the opposite of the teamwork type of management, and only serves the charismatic leader in the end. Finally, debasement may be the worst tactic, because it is so demoralizing to others. A charismatic leader always has to be in power and control, always at the top. To stay there, they often bully and debase their staff. It makes the leader feel better to themselves, and feel as if they are superior to those below them. It is the kind of management tactic that drives good staff to seek other positions, and it is detrimental to the company and the department. These four tactics are all examples of poor leadership, and successful leaders should never use them.