Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr. M. Abul Kashem Mozumder :
Charismatic leaders are essentially very skilled communicators – individuals who are both verbally eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level. They are able to articulate a compelling or captivating vision, and are able to arouse strong emotions in among the followers and the people. (https://twitter.com/ronriggio). ‘Charisma is really a process – an interaction between the qualities of the charismatic leader, the followers and their needs and identification with the leader, and the situation that calls out for a charismatic leader, such as a need for change or a crisis. But when comes to the charismatic qualities of leaders, the emphasis is on how they communicate to followers and whether they are able to gain followers’ trust, and influence and persuade them to follow.’ ( https://twitter.com/ronriggio)
Many politicians use a charismatic style, as they need to gather a large number of followers. If you want to increase your charisma, studying videos of their speeches and the way they interact with others is a great source of learning. Religious leaders, too, may well use charisma, as do cult leaders. Leading the team Charismatic Leaders who are building a group, whether it is a political party, a cult or a business team, will often focus strongly on making the group very clear and distinct, separating it from other groups. They will then build the image of the group, in particular in the minds of their followers, as being far superior to all others. The Charismatic Leader will typically attach themselves firmly to the identity of the group, such that to join the group is to become one with the leader. In doing so, they create an unchallengeable position for themselves. Alternative views The description above is purely based on charisma and takes into account varying moral positions. Other descriptions tend to assume a more benevolent approach. Conger & Kanungo (1998) describe five behavioral attributes of Charismatic Leaders that indicate a more transformational viewpoint: Vision and articulation; Sensitivity to the environment; Sensitivity to member needs; Personal risk taking; Performing unconventional behaviour. Musser (1987) notes that charismatic leaders seek to instill both commitment to ideological goals and also devotion to themselves. The extent to which either of these two goals is dominant depends on the underlying motivations and needs of the leader. Discussion The Charismatic Leader and the Transformational Leader can have many similarities, in that the Transformational Leader may well be charismatic. Their main difference is in their basic focus. Whereas the Transformational Leader has a basic focus of transforming the organization and, quite possibly, their followers, the Charismatic Leader may not want to change anything. Despite their charm and apparent concern, the Charismatic Leader may well be somewhat more concerned with themselves than anyone else. A typical experience with them is that whilst you are talking with them, it is like being bathed in a warm and pleasant glow, in which they are very convincing ‘The question of how much influence others are given thus may vary on the manager’s preferences and beliefs, and a whole spectrum of participation is possible, as in the table below. Autocratic decision by leader Leader proposes decision, listens to feedback, then decides Team proposes decision, leader has final decision Joint decision with team as equals Full delegation of decision to team There are many varieties on this spectrum, including stages where the leader sells the idea to the team. Another variant is for the leader to describe the ‘what’ of objectives or goals and let the team or individuals decide the ‘how’ of the process by which the ‘how’ will be achieved (this is often called ‘Management by Objectives’). The level of participation may also depend on the type of decision being made. Decisions on how to implement goals may be highly participative, whilst decisions during subordinate performance evaluations are more likely to be taken by the manager.
There are many potential benefits of participative leadership, as indicated in the assumptions, above. This approach is also known as consultation, empowerment, joint decision-making, democratic leadership, Management By Objective (MBO) and power-sharing. Participative Leadership can be a sham when managers ask for opinions and then ignore them. This is likely to lead to cynicism and feelings of betrayal. Situational Leadership Disciplines > Leadership > Leadership styles > Situational Leadership Assumptions | Style | Discussion | See also Assumptions The best action of the leader depends on a range of situational factors. Style When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational methods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers.
This, in turn, is affected by factors within the particular situation. The relationship between followers and the leader may be another factor that affects leader behavior as much as it does follower behavior. The leaders’ perception of the follower and the situation will affect what they do rather than the truth of the situation. The leader’s perception of themselves and other factors such as stress and mood will also modify the leaders’ behavior. Yukl (1989) seeks to combine other approaches and identifies six variables: Subordinate effort: the motivation and actual effort expended. Subordinate ability and role clarity: followers knowing what to do and how to do it. Organization of the work: the structure of the work and utilization of resources. Cooperation and cohesiveness: of the group in working together. Resources and support: the availability of tools, materials, people, etc. External coordination: the need to collaborate with other groups. Leaders here work on such factors as external relationships, acquisition of resources, managing demands on the group and managing the structures and culture of the group. Discussion Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) identified three forces that led to the leader’s action: the forces in the situation, the forces in then follower and also forces in the leader. This recognizes that the leader’s style is highly variable, and even such distant events as a family argument can lead to the displacement activity of a more aggressive stance in an argument than usual. Maier (1963) noted that leaders not only consider the likelihood of a follower accepting a suggestion, but also the overall importance of getting things done. Thus in critical situations, a leader is more likely to be directive in style simply because of the implications of failure. (http://changingminds.org)
Born in 17 March Bangabandhu meets all the attributes of a charismatic leader. His charisma matter a lot in organizing the people into a countervailing force against all sorts of injustice meted out to them by the semi-colonial rulers. His spectacular rise at the fag end of Ayub Shahi became possible because of his charisma. His March 7 speech and speech after returning home from Pakistan jail at the same venue reflected all accounts of his charisma. The words ‘compromise’ and ‘equation’ were unknown in his dictionary. For this uncompromising attitude altogether with daunting courage Mujib became the target of the ruling coterie who put him to jail several times. Sheikh Mujib was stimulated people by his charismatic leadership capability and huge political knowledge. From his early life he was demonstrated two key leadership qualities which make him unquestionable leader of the Bangladesh. One key quality was proactive social consciousness and paramount dedication for politics.
Had there been no jailed leader like Bangabandhu there would have been no platform for the development of Bengali nationalism. The rising consciousness of the toiling masses about their political rights, cultural freedom and economic emancipation free from exploitation was a real force behind rising militancy of autonomy movement with Mujib playing a sheet anchor role. He spent almost the life-long time in imprisonment for a marathon trail of struggle against palace politics, semi-colonial rule, cultural indoctrination and use of religion to political advantage.
When we remember Mujib we go back to the stormy days of mass agitation that unnerved each successive ruling regime responsible for distorting political institutions. Mujib did all necessary ground works since 1948 creating a host of historic moments that in the long run turned into Bangladesh movement. Six-point formula was a magna carter of the people of this land orchestrating their political rights, cultural freedom and emancipation from the onslaught of the semblance of colonial exploitation. Six-point being identified with Bengali sentiment was a real force behind rising militancy of movement for a separate homeland.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque is the Professor of Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University and Dr. M. Abul Kashem Mozumder is member of PSC, Bangladesh).
