By Michelle Peng

Senior reporter, work & leadership

As leaders look for ways to lead their teams through constant change, don’t discount the role of awe-inspiring leadership, says David De Cremer, the dean of Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business and co-author of a recent research paper on the effects of awe on teams. 

“People are looking for meaning in times of crisis and uncertainty,” says De Cremer. “When do you pay attention? When you think you're in awe, it's impressive. It's something that challenges your thoughts and has an influence on how you start thinking about certain things.” 

We spoke to De Cremer to learn more about his research and his recommendations for leaders and teams. Here are takeaways from our conversation:

The behaviors that elicit awe among employees. 

De Cremer identifies four key behaviors that inspire awe on a team: 

  • Charismatic leadership. While many people believe charisma is a kind of mystique that can’t be cultivated, De Cremer points out that perceptions of charisma are actually based on concrete behaviors that anyone can practice. “If you’re very self-confident, willing to sacrifice for what you’re preaching, show sincerity and authenticity, and have an appealing message, then people find you more charismatic,” he says.
  • Exceptional performance. We’re in awe of people who accomplish big things. De Cremer gives an example from the world of sports. Anyone can run 100 meters, he says, “but you see someone run faster than 10 seconds on a hundred meters, everyone is still in awe every time.” 
  • Problem reframing, or the ability to take the status quo and “identify a problem in it and say, ‘This is how it could be different,” says De Cremer, explaining that the effect is team members thinking, “Wow, you’re the only one who sees this.” 
  • Self-sacrificial behavior. “People admire people who have a very strong sense of purpose and stick to those values, especially in difficult circumstances,” he explains. Because the emotion of awe has a strong moral dimension, that demonstration of values and integrity elicits awe for most people.