Is Charisma a Personal Quality or a Trait Essay

Is Charisma a Personal Quality or a Trait - Essay Example The essay "Is Charisma a Personal Quality or a Trait?" examines the concepts of charisma as a trait and a personal quality. Charisma has been studied and theorized in various ways by different sociologists, psychologists, and management specialists. The concept of charisma as a trait has been elaborately explained in Weber’s work related to leadership in the civil society. Originally, Weber referred to charisma as an inherent quality of an individual, which makes that individual very different from the ordinary men and gets treated as someone specially awarded with paranormal, heroic and exceptional qualities. Later, he narrowed this definition to include specific personal qualities that distinguish the individual from other people. Based on Weber’s generalization and pontification of charisma, Shils defined charisma as, â€Å"the quality which is imputed to persons, actions, roles, institutions, symbols and material objects because of their presumed connection with ‘ultimate,’ fundamental,’ ‘vital,’ order-determining powers†. Weber refers to charisma as one of three bases of legitimate authority in the institutional setup. While Weber’s original concept of charisma emphasizes on charisma as a personal quality. Weber’s philosophy bases the evolution of all social organizations on charismatic qualities of few individuals. Klein and House define charisma as â€Å"a fire that ignites followers’ energy and commitment, producing results above and beyond the call of duty†.

Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Heart of Darkness - Essay Example The narration of the book from the viewpoint of Marlow shows his own hypocrisy from the very beginning of the story when he says that even London was once one of the darkest places on earth. Even though he knows it to be true, he does not accept that the natives in the Congo could have a culture which is at least as valuable as the one which he is a part of. In fact, the narrator struggles with ‘understanding’ a culture as well as people throughout the novella. To be fair, this lack of understanding is not limited to cultures or individuals, it also extends to places as well as emotions. For instance, even though the descriptions of different locations as given by the narrator are quite extensive, he does not see beyond what is physically present. For example, he describes the Central Station as: It was on a back water surrounded by scrub and forest, with a pretty border of smelly mud on one side, and on the three others enclosed by a crazy fence of rushes. A neglected gap was all the gate it had, and the first glance at the place was enough to let you see the flabby devil was running that show. (Conrad, 1902, Pg. 35) The most important point which can be made about the narrator is that (at least for the majority of the story) he focuses on outward appearances and refuses to look for a deeper meaning in things. Even though he shows signs of being philosophically inclined, yet he either ignores or does not care to understand the region, the people or even the actions of Kurtz. Over the period of his journey, the situation changes and he develops a somewhat deeper understanding as he is changed by his surroundings in much the same way Kurtz was. The bonds of brotherhood created by race and other common factors unite Marlow and Sonny’s brother with Kurtz and Sonny respectively. It must be noted that race as a common ground for creating an understanding between people is used