A CHARISMATIC DIMENSION OF MILITARY LEADERSHIP?

Over the years the charisma motif has surfaced and resurfaced in discussions of leadership. The term "charisma" continues frequently to be used in an imprecise, even ambiguous manner, referring in a somewhat grab-bag fashion to anyone with flair, flamboyance, or popular appeal Partly as a result, inquiries into the subject remain regrettably limited in scope. The aim of this article is to determine the various meanings of charisma in the literature, with an eye to ascertaining the distinctive implications for military leadership. Notwithstanding the substantial amounts of literature on charismatic leadership, this remains largely uncharted territory. We endeavor here to integrate psychological, situational, cultural and other factors customarily identified as consequential in examinations of charisma.