The Backdrop of Leadership: How Environmental Awe Influences Charisma Attributions

Abstract

Charisma is often attributed to leaders based on how they look, talk, and behave. Yet very little is known about the role of the physical environment in influencing attributions of leader charisma. The role of the physical environment is crucial because leaders inevitably occupy physical spaces that vary across contexts. In this research, we find that the grandeur of the physical environment, specifically in its ability to induce awe, enhances attributions of charisma for leaders who are not already known to be charismatic. First, in a field experiment, we show that a real business leader is attributed with more charisma when delivering a speech in an awe-inducing (vs. an ordinary) environment. In three follow-up experiments, we find that awe-inducing physical environments amplify charisma attributions and that this effect was diminished or absent for individuals already known for their charisma. Together, our findings contribute to the leadership literature by demonstrating the importance of the physical environment in influencing whether followers consider their leaders to be charismatic.