What Makes a Leader ‘Charismatic’ or ‘Authoritative’?

Charismatic leaders are like magnets, people are drawn to them because they feel happy or excited. Authoritative leaders, on the other hand, are like rulers, they make people follow them because they know who’s in charge.

What’s the Difference?

If a leader smiles and makes you laugh, that’s charisma. If a leader speaks clearly and everyone listens without question, that’s authority.

Real Life Examples

A teacher who makes math fun has charisma. A principal who tells students exactly what to do has authority.

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Examples

  1. A classmate who makes everyone laugh is charismatic.
  2. A teacher who tells students exactly what to do is authoritative.
  3. A friend who gets you excited about a new game has charisma.

See also

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Categories: Politics · leadership· political psychology· charisma · Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.