A toxic triangle

Charismatic leaders by themselves cannot be considered dangerous. But when they acquire cult status and become megalomaniacal, then beware

Only some leaders combine charisma, megalomania, and cult. The combination is rare and toxic, and the outcome is lethal. In my column last month, I wrote about what happens when megalomania combines with cult. One reader asked the outcome if charisma was added to the leadership menu of megalomania and cult. The answer is blowing in the wind.

Harvey Weinstein is charismatic. As a film producer, he is also a cult figure. Since upcoming youngsters believe that association with him is worth a huge price, megalomania sets in. Watch the Netflix movie about Mr Weinstein to appreciate the cumulative effects — it is titled She Said.

Megalomania

Authority derives from three sources. First, and oldest, is charismatic authority, which comes from achievements, character, heroism, and demagoguery, like Alexander or Cyrus. Second is traditional authority, which, for example, facilitates acceptance of the son of the founder as the new chief executive officer in a family-managed enterprise. Third, and most modern, is rational-legal authority, which imputes authority to an administrative position, for example, an appointed judge or bureaucrat. There are other definitions, but these are the important sources of authority that are at the root of megalomania.

Charisma

According to sociologist Max Weber, charisma is the perceived supernatural quality of an individual that sets that person apart from other human beings. For centuries, charisma (a subjective perception) and rationality (an objective reality) could not coexist. Weber opined that the triumph of post-enlightenment Western society was that the individual and office had been separated through a rational view of authority. Charisma is like the price of shares; it is based more on expectations of performance. This is why celebrities recommend products ranging from underwear to pan masala. Their charisma is assumed to transfer to the product.

Readers would be familiar with the charisma attributed to business leaders like J R D Tata and Keshub Mahindra. From the world of gurus, there are Sri Sri Ravishankar and Sadhguru. Politics, films, sport — all these fields produce charismatic heroes. A few of them live up to the image, but many are seen, especially with hindsight, to have been incompetent, toxic, or fraudulent.

Cult

It is an organised group whose purpose is to deify an individual. Members are manipulated through psychological and pressure strategies, and they brook no criticism of their leader. In turn, the leader nurtures an imagined existential threat from unnamed outside forces. The cult members regard the leader as the exclusive authority to know the “right” path. Such leaders love praise for sure.

During his lifetime, when Gandhiji was referred to as “Mahatma”, he expressed his disapproval of being so called. While he was alive, Jamsetji Tata did not brand any venture as Tata. His early ventures were Alexandra Mills, Empress Mills, and Indian Hotels. After his death, his successors associated his name with new ventures. Through the practices of his successors, “TATA” became the most admired and valuable corporate brand in India, worth several billions of dollars now.

Too much or too little of a good thing is dangerous. Hence the value of moderation. In chapter 6, verse 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, it is stated “Yuktahara Viharasya, Yukta Chestasya Karmasu, Yukta Swapnava Bodhasya, Yogo Bhavati Dukhasya”, which is a call for mitigating sorrows by moderation in eating and recreation, by balance in work, and by regulation of sleep.

All combined

Why is the combination of cult, megalomania, and charisma toxic? Because the leader starts to believe in his divinity and defies mortality and fallibility. The leader who is trapped in a syrup of megalomania, charisma, and cult displays what author Morgan Housel terms “the dumber side of smart people”. These are: First, very smart people try to intelligently explain every little event, like why the stock market moved up or down yesterday; second, smart people feel so much pressure to maintain their intellectual reputation that they fail to change their mind even when it is called for; third, being smart makes it difficult to listen to people, especially if you believe that they are less smart than you!

Which is more dangerous —megalomania, charisma, or cult? Charisma by itself cannot be considered dangerous. When a charismatic leader acquires cult status, and, further, becomes megalomaniacal, then beware. You have a sure recipe for danger.

The writer is an author. His new book, Embrace the Future: the soft science of business transformation, was published in February 2024.  rgopal@themindworks.me