Group Leaders: Focus on Charismatic Authority

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Recommended: Different types of charismatic leaders

Groups are an essential component of society as they allow individuals to affiliate themselves with certain people, typically those who are most similar to themselves. Groups also provide social support and a greater sense of belonging for the individual, which is not provided by crowds. Due to the significance of groups, it is important that groups are maintained in organized structures that encourages group harmony and group cohesion. It is essentially the leader’s task to maintain these ideals since the leader has authority over the members of the group.
According to Max Weber, there are three types of authority: traditional, legal-rational, and charismatic. Traditional authority is based on traditions and customs; for example, parents are a type of traditional authority since individuals are taught to respect and listen to their parents from a young age (Weber, 12). Legal-rational authority is based on relation to laws, rules, and the government; an example of a legal-rational authority would be the police due to its association with the government and its task of enforcing the law (Weber, 13). Unlike these two types of authority, charismatic authority is solely based on the personality of the leader such as the degree of charisma the leader has and how well his interpersonal skills are (Weber, 12). Charismatic authority may seem very simplistic as it is just based on personality, yet it is this very aspect that allows for the emergence of polar-opposite charismatic leaders. Furthermore, the simple basis allows for the leaders to guide the group towards any direction they desire, and this makes the distinction between certain charismatic leaders prominent. The contrast between charismatic leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and ...

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...rsonalities. Although they were both charismatic authorities, it is hard to relate King, a great leader known for his equal rights advocacy, and Jones, a cult leader who ultimately deceived hundreds of people to suicide. Due to the different paths taken by King and Jones, the distinction of being polar opposite charismatic leaders is made apparent. King used his authority for societal progress, whereas Jones used his for destruction.

Works Cited

Osherow, Neal. "Making Sense of the Nonsensical: An Analysis of Jonestown." Making Sense of

the Nonsensical: An Analysis of Jonestown. N.p., 24 June 2000. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

Parrish, Tina. "Leadership Styles: Martin Luther King vs. Jim Jones." Alternative Considerations

of Jonestown Peoples Temple. SDSU, 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Weber, Max. “Power, Authority, and the State.” SagePub.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

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