Exploring Charismatic Leadership in the Public Sector: Measurement and Consequences

A survey of more than 203 middle and upper–middle managers that assessed their superiors ( N =51) in the Canadian public sector showed that charismatic leadership in such a setting comprises four dimensions: (1) energy and determination; (2) vision; (3) challenge and encouragement; and (4) risk taking. However, such leadership is only modestly related to motivational consequences and is not significantly related to unit performance. We discuss our findings in terms of their theoretical implications for leadership research in general and for the public sector in particular.