ABSTRACT
Nationalism, charisma and national character together produce a modern type of charismatic leadership. This chapter examines charisma in national leadership, as the ‘charismatic national leader’ often has no formal legitimacy or, in Max Weber’s terms, no ‘rational-legal authority’ and, as a result, has to rely mainly on his/her personality to sustain him/her as a leader. This chapter’s approach to the subject of national leadership and charisma is not theoretical, but contextual, arguing that there is a connection between the prevailing self-image of a nation concerning its own national character, culture and values and the kind of charismatic leadership that holds sway over the nation in times of crisis. This means that, in modern societies, a leader who embodies the national character in the public mind is likely to generate an atmosphere of charisma. In other words, national leadership becomes charismatic through the human need of the collectivity of followers to see their own idealised self, which is personified in their leader. This differs from plain obedience and legitimate authority. In addition it differs from the attribution of divine power to kings which distances them from the people rather than making them representative of their followers. 1 National identity as well as hero worship of a charismatic national leader spring from individual feelings and are in a real sense also self-worship. Emphasising the interactive nature of charisma – for it depends on the followers choosing or accepting the charismatic leader as a perfected example of themselves – several historical examples are highlighted in this chapter
