At the Helm, Kirk or Spock? The Pros and Cons of Charismatic Leadership

That is a new paper (AEA gate) by the very smart Benjamin Hermalin, here is the abstract:

Charismatic leaders are often desired. At the same time, experience, especially with demagogues, as well as social science studies, raise doubts about such leaders. This paper offers explanations for charismatic leadership’s “mixed report card.” It offers insights into why and when charismatic leadership can be effective; which, when, and why certain groups will prefer more to less charismatic leaders; and how being more charismatic can make leaders worse in other dimensions, particularly causing them to work less hard on their followers’ behalf.

And here is one important part of the model:

…a charismatic leader can get away with concealing bad news without triggering overly pessimistic beliefs.

I like the paper, but isn’t Spock super-charismatic, and all these women want to sleep with him?  And isn’t there a long article about all the terrible decisions and advice stemming from Spock in various Star Trek episodes?

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