A Close Look at Abiy’s Charismatic Leadership in Ethiopia

Abstract

Charisma is a Greek term that means "gift". The word charisma used in the Christian bible to express several Devine gifts. The discussion of charismatic leadership in organizations began with Max Weber, who used the word charismatic to secular application. One of the most challenging issues in studying charismatic leadership is the lack of agreement on its definition. Academicians characterized charismatic leadership in several ways, and there is no consensus on which description is the most exhaustive. The distinguishing qualities of charismatic leadership may be perceived from two angles: leader behaviors and follower impacts. In the early years of Abiy’s leadership, he demonstrated some characteristics of charismatic leaders such as rhetorical ability, motivational power, and graceful figure. In addition, there was some indication of a risk-taking personality, a revolutionary attempt, and a vision in his first year. However, there is a counter-argument for this, especially his lack of consistency made him susceptible to skeptics. His self-centered leadership style, lack of paradigm-shifting decisions, inability to put into action his visions, and lack of ethics were some of the counter-arguments against his charismatic nature. Nonetheless, it is premature to forward conclusive evidence to claim whether he is a charismatic leader or not.