Charismatic leadership in its extreme manifestations resembles a hypnotic situation in which the followers lose their autonomic judgement. Popper compares leadership to fire. The leader is the spark, the followers the fuel, and the circumstances the oxygen that feeds the flames. Fire can destroy everything in its path, and such a strong fire is a metaphor for what is described as Hypnotic Leadership. Examples of hypnotic leadership are described and analyzed in an attempt to explore and explain the psychological processes involved in such leadership. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.