Sustainable Development in Africa: Charismatic and Transformational Leadership

Charismatic leadership is a leadership method in which a leader uses personal charms and persuasions to inspire and motivate his/her subjects to achieve specific goals. Similarly, transformational leadership is a pragmatic leadership style that accommodates teamwork collaborations to engender an environment of invention, creation, initiation, and introduction of something new to move society forward. Leadership by example encourages well-rounded development. The problem that warrants this study is to establish the nexus between the charismatic-transformational leadership style and sustainable development. The objective of this study is to analyze the urgent need for charismatic and transformational leadership for sustainable development in Africa and to make it in the limelight. Many Africans are disgusted with their leaders. This is because most African leaders, with their leadership styles, have failed to deliver good governance that results in sustainable development. The method of this study is analysis. This study’s findings reveal that leaders with charisma and transformational insightfulness, such as visionary thinking and strategic planning, are better disposed for effective leadership than others. In conclusion, the implication is that leadership is neither for everybody nor a do-or-die affair. This program is for those who have the requisite leadership intelligence, discipline, and willingness for selfless service. Finally, this study recommends pre-election debates for all Africans vying for political leadership to showcase their charisma and transformational viewpoints for pre-election appraisal by the electorates.