Teacher Leadership: Charismatic Characteristics of Sri Lankan School Teachers

Abstract

This study identifies a number of charismatic leadership characteristics of school teachers in Sri Lanka. Since charisma is an instrumental asset in any work context, leaders’ charismatic characteristics can make extraordinary effects on follower toward mission accomplishment. In the teaching-learning context, teachers are viewed as great leaders that make magnificent transformations in the students. A teacher becomes the leader in the classroom as well and they are playing a significant role to build a culture of learning in the classroom that, finally everyone benefits. Therefore charismatic leadership characteristics in teachers as leaders can make the teaching-learning process more and more effective. This study followed a qualitative research approach, collecting data from interviewing twenty school teachers. It was reported that most of the school teachers are leaders with charismatic characteristics such as mission formulation for the students, unconditioned commitment towards the students’ accomplishments, trust on the students, taking personal risk in directing students, demonstration of unusual behaviors and emotional arousal through attractive communication. The implication of this study is imperative for teacher training and performance appraisals.Keywords: Teacher leadership, charismatic leadership, teaching-learning process, school teachers

Effect of Teachers’ Charismatic Leadership Perceived by College Students on Their Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Passion

“…Sufficient empirical evidence is available to support that teachers are the most crucial in-school factor for student learning (Berry, 2013;Clotfelter et al, 2010). Based on leadership theory, Gunasekare (2019) found that the characteristics of teachers with charismatic leadership include setting tasks for students, unconditional commitment to student achievement, trusting students, taking personal risk in mentoring students and addressing abnormal behaviors, and emotional stimulation through communication. Earlier researchers applied House and Baetz's (1979) concepts as the basis for defining teachers' charismatic leadership (Goodboy & Bolkan, 2011;Gunasekare, 2019); thus, teachers' charismatic leadership can be defined based on their vision, personal emotions to attract and motivate students, and influence on students' behavior.…”

“…Previous studies have reported the positive role of passion in the entrepreneurial process (Cardon et al, 2015;Huyghe et al, 2016). Gunasekare's (2019) research in the education field demonstrated that teachers with charismatic leadership can stimulate students' positive emotions. Li & Wu's (2019) research showed that teachers can promote students' entrepreneurial passion.…”

Charismatic Teaching: Cultivating Motivation in Community College Classrooms

“…As a result of this connection, their followers exhibit increased motivation and need for achievement (House, 1976(House, , 1977. Since teachers are leaders in the classroom (Archer, 1994;Armandi et al, 2003;Goodboy & Bolkan, 2011;Gunasekare, 2019), and CLT suggests that charismatic leaders influence their followers' motivation and need for achievement (House, 1976(House, , 1977, then charismatic teachers may also influence their students' motivation and need for achievement in a classroom setting.…”