What Is “Charisma,” Anyway?

In our leader-focused society, how often do we consider the role of followers? Barbara Kellerman studies the relationship between leaders and followers at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. She explains that there’s a word that describes the powerful, emotional bond that exists between leaders and followers: charisma. But if charisma implies that leaders and their followers share power equally, then that shifting balance of power can lead to different outcomes.