Groups are an essential component of society because they allow individuals to affiliate with certain people, typically those who are most like them. Groups also provide social support and a greater sense of belonging for the individual, which is not provided by crowds. Because of the importance of groups, it is important that groups are maintained in organized structures that encourage group harmony and cohesion. It is essentially the leader's job to maintain these ideals as the leader has authority over group members. According to Max Weber, there are three types of authority: traditional, juridical-rational and charismatic. Traditional authority is based on traditions and customs; for example, parents are a type of traditional authority as individuals are taught to respect and listen to their parents from a young age (Weber, 12). Legal-rational authority is based on the relationship with laws, rules and government; an example of a legal-rational authority would be the police because of their association with the government and their job of enforcing the law (Weber, 13). Unlike these two types of authority, charismatic authority is based solely on the leader's personality, such as the leader's degree of charisma and how good his or her interpersonal skills are (Weber, 12). Charismatic authority may seem very simplistic as it is based only on personality, yet it is precisely this aspect that allows the emergence of polar opposite charismatic leaders. Furthermore, the simple base allows leaders to steer the group in any direction they wish, and this makes the distinction between some charismatic leaders prominent. The contrast between the charismatic leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and the... personalities of the center of the paper. Although they were both charismatic authorities, it is difficult to connect King, a great leader known for his advocacy of equal rights, and Jones, a cult leader who ultimately deceived hundreds of people into suicide. Because of the different paths taken by King and Jones, the distinction of being opposite charismatic leaders is made apparent. King used his authority for social progress, while Jones used it for destruction. Works Cited Osherow, Neal. “Making Sense of Senseless Things: An Analysis of Jonestown.” Making Sense of Senseless Things: An Analysis of Jonestown. Np, June 24, 2000. Web. April 25, 2014. Parrish, Tina. “Leadership Styles: Martin Luther King vs. Jim Jones.” Alternative Thoughts on the Jonestown Peoples Temple. SDSU, February 25, 2014. Web. April 12, 2014.Weber, Max. “Power, Authority, and the State.” SagePub.com. Network. April 25. 2014.