Session 10 - A Leader's legacy

Max Weber defined charismatic authority as "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him."

In today’s times when society has become far more complex and fragmented, people look to the personal vision of charismatic leaders to take control of the world they live in.

It can be said that it is due to the charisma of leaders that they are remembered; their personality has a huge impact on their legacy. Such was the case with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; despite all the controversies he had overwhelming support from the masses. In fact, it is safe to say that the PPP still has support because of Bhutto's strong personality.

What Aristotle said was true, leadership skills are innate. Very few have the ability to lead a confused mass towards consensus. A living example of this is the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un who spends millions on himself when more than half of his nation starves for basic necessities.

However, this is always not the case; it’s not just leadership qualities that wins elections and give individuals power to dominate the executive. There are a number of underlying factors that are influential in running a state, for instance, lobbies (especially in the USA), and law enforcement agencies that also have power to run the government. There are many instances where even the most charismatic of leaders who may be close to hearts of the masses have very little hold on matters.

So to say that power is not in the hands of one always is incorrect; it varies from time to time.