Charismatic leadership, boundary issues, and collusion

The authors suggest that a charismatic leadership style has art impact on t he maintenance of boundaries and standards of practice within a department of psychiatry. They also underline the need for all members of a self-regul ated professional group to assume responsibility for the maintenance of sta ndards within the group. An overview of leadership tasks and styles, with particular emphasis on the qualities of charismatic leadership, is provided and the impacts of bounda ry violations committed by members of a psychiatric department or institute on the integrity of the professional group are also elaborated. The author s then develop several hypotheses regarding the phenomenon of emotional col lusion that occurs in departments in which a charismatic leaner becomes sex ually, involved with patients. The individual internal psychological mechan isms and companion group dynamics that may allow the leader to be supported at the cost of ethical standards, principles of practice, and the ultimate creativity and viability of the group are then discussed. The authors conclude that the maintenance of standards within a self-regula ting professional group must be the shared responsibility of all members. T he example of boundary violations by a charismatic leader is used to illust rate the need for open debate regarding fundamental principles required to maintain a healthy functioning of critical checks and balances within the p sychiatric profession.