OB Research Seminar - John Antonakis, HEC Lausanne

Throughout their lifespan, humans and non-human animals continually and unconsciously emulate others. This emulation is a fundamental process in social learning theory, aiding social adaptation and learning. Moreover, cognitive theories suggest that observed behaviors gain salience, increasing the likelihood of replication. However, indiscriminate imitation, noted by evolutionary theories, often proves disadvantageous.

According to the evolutionary perspective, individuals tend to imitate competent, intelligent, and higher-status individuals. Charisma, a costly signal, symbolizes these these traits. Consequently, emulating charismatic figures is deemed more advantageous than non-charismatic ones. Building on these theories and the trickle-down effect of leadership—where followers emulate their leaders' attributes—we propose that charisma begets charisma. Our hypothesis suggests that observers of charismatic behaviors are more likely to exhibit charismatic behaviors too. In our study, 529 online panel participants either watched, heard, or read either a charismatic or non-charismatic speech. We manipulated charisma, involving a professional actor employing or omitting charismatic leadership tactics (CLTs). After exposure to the speech, participants were asked to compose their own speech to motivate an underperforming employee. We rated these speeches for charisma using a machine learning AI algorithm. Poisson regression analyses revealed a significant trend: exposure to charismatic speeches significantly heightened charismatic behaviors. Specifically, those exposed to a charismatic speech exhibited as much as 10% more charisma than those exposed to a non-charismatic one. These findings underscore the contagious nature of charisma and offer insights into how charismatic individuals consistently influence society