Building Leaders' Charisma in Media Presence: A Semiotic Study of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Image

Document Type : Original Article

Author

King Saud university

Abstract

Despite the age-old phenomenon of charisma and the contribution of the humanities, social sciences, psychology, and media studies in its analysis, the greatest reliance remains on Max Weber's theory of charisma. With the increasing influence of media and communication, and its special importance in supporting leaders in the process of communicating with followers, thus building leaders' charisma.
 The study aimed to identify the foundations for building leaders' charisma in media presence, applying it to the semiotics of Russian President Vladimir Putin's image. This study explored the role of social foundations in building leadership charisma in media presence, applying it to the personality of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also clarified the psychological foundations necessary for building leadership charisma, shedding light on the essential charismatic communication skills required for a leader in media presence.
A semiotic analysis was conducted on five video clips, broadcast at different times on official international channels, to interpret the semiotic connotations useful for building leadership charisma in media presence. The video clips featured Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The study yielded several findings, most notably that the determinants of building a leader's charisma include understanding the social and psychological context of the target community and the leader's ability to manage impressions. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the leader's possession and mastery of charismatic communication skills, including the ability to use symbols and control emotions and facial expressions. It also highlights the importance of trust, credibility, logic, and strength of character.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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