A follower-centric perspective on charismatic leadership: An integrative review and agenda for future research

Meindl (1993) highlighted the importance of “balancing” the leadership equation by placingequivalent weight on followers’ perspectives. Building upon his legacy, we review research on“follower-centric perspectives” to deepen our understanding of the charismatic leadershiprelationship. We define charisma as a relational phenomenon, which develops first in the eyes offollowers and subsequently spreads through inter-follower dynamics. Adopting Doise’smultilevel framework (i.e. intrapersonal, relational/situational, intergroup, and ideological)highlights different plausible views of leader-follower interactions and helps to clarify when andhow charisma is more likely to emerge in the eyes of followers. We conclude withrecommendations for future research.