I recently read this article from the Harvard Business Review (shared with me by Miles) and thought it made an interesting point.

Charismatic leaders can inspire others to perform better, and it would seem to follow that the more charisma a leader has, the more effective he or she will be. But new research reveals limits to the more-is-better theory. Researchers asked 306 leaders to rank themselves on charisma, using a common personality test, and to rate their effectiveness as leaders on a 10-point scale; they also asked coworkers to rate the leaders’ effectiveness (on average, 14 people assessed each leader).

The more charismatic the leader, the higher the self-reported effectiveness—but when charisma reached the 60th percentile (slightly more than average), coworkers’ ratings of effectiveness began to decline. Although it’s hard to define “too much” charisma, several traits may be red flags, including overconfidence, narcissism, and manipulative behaviour. The findings suggest that leaders should be aware that being highly charismatic may have drawbacks and should consider things such as 360-degree evaluations, coaching, and development programs to enhance self-awareness and self-regulation.