The ‘charismatic’ leader trap: Why organizations shouldn’t depend on one individual, no matter how appealing

No one person has the answer to everything.

When we think of a leader, charisma—an individual’s ability to motivate people to follow them, share their vision, and ultimately do what they say—is often at the center of our image. Charismatic, transformational leaders are respected, admired, and even loved. A successful business, however, is about much more than one person, and the danger with an overreliance on an individual is that too much power accumulates at the top of the tree.