9. The Nelson Effect

Available for over a year

Exploring the charisma of humility and service in Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Francine Stock attempts to pin down the alluring yet elusive quality of charisma. So far, Francine has been fascinated to learn that charisma is an amoral quality - value-free, neither positive nor negative in itself, with the potential to do good or harm depending on those who harness it. In the previous episode, she considered the appalling impact of Hitler's "dark charisma". She now turns to two 21st century individuals who have used their charisma to serve their people: Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Francine talks with Moeletsi Mbeki, Deputy Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, who knew Nelson Mandela well and who anatomises his particularly powerful type of charisma. She also hears from Jas Elsner, who has worked closely with the Dalai Lama, and who explains how his religious upbringing and belief underpin his charisma. In an era in which the casual use of the term charisma has proliferated, Professor John Potts - who recently came across an advertisement for a "charismatic sandwich" (one in which the lettuce was particularly crisp) - discusses the importance of authenticity in the truly charismatic. Producer: Beaty Rubens. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2015.