The following is an excerpt from By J.J. McCorvey | @jmccorvey | From the October 2011 issue of Inc. magazine
Great leaders are often described as having a certain magnetism. But according to new research, that special something could have less to do with charisma than with a tendency to obscure the way they get things done.
The Findings
In the study, “Managerial Mystique: Magical Thinking in Judgments of Managers’ Vision, Charisma, and Magnetism,” researchers found that when people aren’t aware of the means by which a leader’s success is achieved, they tend to view that person as charismatic and visionary. It’s similar to the way a magician wows onlookers by obscuring the workings behind his tricks, says Maia Young, an associate professor of human resources and organizational behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles. Young co-authored the study with Michael W. Morris and Vicki M. Scherwin, two business professors from other universities. “If you ask people if they believe in magical powers, very few of them would say yes,” she explains, “but they make subconscious decisions that reflect a different answer.”
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