“Each of you,” says Dostoevsky’s Pyotr Verkhovensky to his fellow conspirators, “owes a higher accounting. You are called to renew the cause. … your whole step is towards getting everything destroyed: both the state and its morality. We alone will remain, having destined ourselves beforehand to assume power.” The cynicism of this declaration alone should have shocked the listeners and provoked their revulsion. Instead his successful control of his secret cell and the continued allegiance of its members are probably the most vivid literary depiction of the destructive power of revolutionary charisma. And yet revolutionary charisma need not necessarily be associated with appeals for violence. Indeed, some of the most compelling charismatic figures, from Gandhi through Mandela to Wałęsa inspired as much loyalty and enthusiasm by advocating non-violence. I will try to understand what makes charisma work by suggesting that violent charisma is often exercised by leaders who are idols, while the non-violent kind is the domain of leaders who are role models. I will conclude with observations on what happens to charisma after victory—and after defeat.