ABSTRACT
To understand charismatic leadership in organizations, it is best to think of leadership as a process that involves moving organizational members from an existing present state toward a future state. In the initial stage, charismatic leaders actively search for shortcomings in the status quo or poorly exploited opportunities within the larger environment. In the second stage, the charismatic leader identifies transformational or visionary goals that will address the shortcomings of the status quo and/or capture opportunities on the horizon. In the third stage, the charismatic leader demonstrates how these transformational goals can be achieved by the organization. They do this through personal example and risk taking, unconventional expertise, and communicating tactics.
