What Makes a Charismatic Leader?

A member of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, Tilak S. Ramaprakash is an aviation professional with over three decades of experience as a professional pilot, flight instructor, and aviation auditor. Leveraging his experience in the aviation industry, he currently serves as a contract pilot on BE-400 and GV/G550 aircraft through AvJet Solutions, Inc. Tilak Ramaprakash has also conducted research on leadership in the aviation industry.

Leadership requirements are skills and behaviors that are crucial to the successful management of an organization and the effective implementation of protocols or strategies to achieve desired goals. Some people believe that leadership requirements are universal, but this may not be the case. Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana have put together data entailing ideal leadership traits in four countries (Korea, Japan, Mexico, United States). The study revealed key differences and some similarities in leadership requirements. The report, titled “Leadership in Western and Asian Countries,” suggests that charismatic leadership is a positive quality in the examined cultures.

Charismatic leaders are characterized by their excellent communication skills and the ability to inspire devotion among subordinates. They are driven by commitment to a cause, and also promote this mindset in their organization. In this endeavor, they encourage initiative and boldness. Charismatic leaders typically don’t give stringent sets of guidelines to subordinates, but rather encourage subordinates to take actions that align with predefined objectives and a specified direction.

Charismatic leaders often promote collaboration toward a greater good, which may be one of the reasons why these leaders are deemed emotionally appealing. Unlike autocratic leaders, charismatic leaders don’t use their influence to demand high performance from subordinates, but rather inspire subordinates to be committed to their duties.