The Dark Side of Charisma.

 

The major difference between ethical and unethical charismatic leaders is the unethical leaders´ focus on personal goals rather than organizational goals. Unethical leaders use their gift to advance their personal vision and to exploit followers.

 

The unethical charismatic leader censors opposing views and engages in one-way communication, whereas the ethical one accepts criticism and remains open to communication from followers.

 

Socialized leaders focus on satisfying their followers´ goals and on developing a message that is congruent with shared values and needs and may be a factor in reducing deviance in their group. Personalized leaders rely on getting followers to identify and agree with their personal values and beliefs.

 

The unethical charismatic leader´s journey becomes all about the leader. For the ethical one, it is about achieving a common goal. In many cases, the unethical charismatic leader will exaggerate the crisis and fan followers´ sense of impending disaster and doom to demonstrate the need for his or her leadership.