Week 7: The Positive Effects of Charismatic Leadership

After receiving the opportunity to work with the CEO and President of the Academy Terry Gerton, I noticed a strong correlation between her leadership traits and Max Weber’s definition of a charismatic leader. According to Weber, A charismatic leader is confident in their vision and themselves, moralistic and emotionally expressive. Terry showed a strong sense of inner self confidence in the way she carried herself and expressed her opinion; she never hesitated to ask challenging questions or share a contradicting opinion, but always did so respectfully. As a CEO of a nonprofit organization specializing in public administration, a large part of her profession requires being a moral agent for change. While presidents of other organizations may feel like conversation about equity, diversity and inclusivity are second to other business matters, Terry has always ensured that those topics were always addressed and were a top priority for staff. While I would not say that Terry is a highly emotional person, she was able to maintain a balance of emotional expression and directness while conducting business meetings. During weekly staff meetings, she would join in with others in casual conversation and practiced relation-based leadership, but she also was able to politely transition to business matters without the casual and lighthearted tone shifting as well.

Max Weber’s theory also suggests that charisma is often in the eye of the beholder. After working with several staff members of the Academy, I can confidently say that Terry’s “followers” have been positively influenced by charismatic leadership. The majority of the staff members show a strong sense of loyalty to her, such as casually speaking highly about her efforts and leadership and making sure to immediately run project changes by her. Many have even nicknamed her, “their fearless leader,” and always make sure to credit her efforts and influence on their work during meetings. It is clear that they not only value and respect her opinion but are inspired by her consistency and dedicated efforts to ensure that all staff feel supported in their efforts to improve the field of public administration. The leader and follower relationship within the Academy seems to benefit them greatly, as conversation for change and progress is always open and the entire staff treats one another with mutual respect.