Dear friend,

The charismatic leader has always been admired. Their often have an ability to capture the attention of many, bring their commitments to life in a way that inspires and engage people so that they want to join their journey. We read books about these people, we try to emulate them and when they retire and become consultants for hire, we pay them large sums of money to be in their presence.

Many of us have had the amazing work experiences working for strong and charismatic leaders. We often talk about these times as a benchmark for enjoyment, team-work and a sense of fulfilment.

Some of our dearest clients have been very strong, committed and charismatic. They have often been blessed with teams that feel very safe in the space their leader creates and very often perform highly.

However, being a charismatic leader comes with a huge risk – a dark side. The critical thing that is often overlooked is that the leader may not have a group of accountable and responsible team members driving the business forward, Instead, they merely have a group of enthusiastic followers. They are so devoted to their amazing leader that they sublimate some of their own creative power and regressed into becoming tools. The result is a business that now hinges on the commitment and drive of a single individual.

This can even extend far down through an organisation. When a charismatic leader is visible to all, then the culture can quickly devolve into a followship and pleasing, possibly undermining creativity, critical thinking and risk management. Think of Theranos under Elizabeth Holmes or WeWork under Adam Neumann.

Why am I raising this issue? As a leader, no matter what level you are in your organisation, take a moment to ask yourself this question: Am I the one holding the commitment(s) or would my team be just as committed to deliver if I wasn’t there?

Having your team fully own the commitment and see themselves as fully responsible for the future success with no contingency on you as leader, is no easy state to achieve and maintain. Having worked with hundreds of senior leaders we have seen that the process to get there requires boldness to ask some very specific incisive questions, an elevated capacity for introspection and openness, as well as a clarity in language that allows for difficult conversations to be resolved constructively (even creatively).

Being in our network, we are always here to answer questions. A call, a coffee, a Teams meeting, or join one of our upcoming events. It will cost you nothing and we would be delighted to hear from you.

Best wishes,