ABSTRACT
The Presidents research program involves a series of studies undertaken by Robert House and others working with him to look into the charismatic leadership process using US presidents and documents relating to them. An example would be the close charismatic leadership of a US president experienced by cabinet members versus the distant leadership experienced by members of the voting public. Leader behavior remains of concern, but it deals with symbolic acts, visionary messages, intellectual stimulation, displays of confidence in self and followers as well, expectations of personal sacrifice, and exhortations to performance beyond normal requirements. The final point on which Weber and House differ is the extent to which the routinization of charisma - the processes through which charismatically introduced changes are institutionalized and carried on into the future is a major theoretical focus. A review of the research literature on top-level executive leadership concludes that visionary and inspirational leadership are important for organizational effectiveness.
