What is charisma?
I posed this question once to some women who were participating in a mentoring group. The initial response was “the ability to convince people to do the right thing.” While a facet of this statement is valid, it spawned an extensive discussion around the possible dangers of charismatic individuals. Not exactly the direction I had intended the conversation to take – as was later noted when I walked into my boss’s office a few hours later with a rueful laugh “Well, my meeting today devolved into a discussion of Jim Jones and Hitler…”
So, what is charisma? Why is it powerful in leadership? And why did I go down the rabbit hole of bad charisma examples like Jones and Hitler? The Oxford English Dictionary defines charisma as “the powerful personality quality that some people have to attract and impress other people.” Our friendly Google word definition service (powered by Oxford Languages) adds: “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.” I would personally take these definitions a step further and say it’s a quality that allows us to influence other people. Which is where we get to the idea of being able to convince people of a way of thinking, or possibly even committing acts… be they called “right” or “wrong.”
And before we start diving into my thoughts around charisma and leadership, you can also check out the material I was referencing in my women’s discussion group way back when. You can find it on https://everywoman.com, and you can click here to view their items specifically on this topic. They had a lot of content that we utilized in our work environment to kick start development discussions.
Using Charisma in Leadership
Charisma can certainly be a powerful tool in leadership. Developing and displaying charisma can help a leader sway their organizations to their way of seeing things. Having a charismatic personality may contribute to people wanting to join your team, be a factor in closing a deal, or help sway your peers and leadership towards your point of view.
As a leader, you are going to want to practice charismatic presence. Yes, I said practice. While some people may have natural charisma, it’s still an overall practice of several behaviors. And if you want to be charismatic, you can’t do a “one and done.” If you only say or do something once or twice, it will not resonate, and the momentary charisma fades. We are going to cover charisma from two sides: charismatic presence (just generally being a charismatic person) and charismatic leadership (using that charisma).
Charismatic Presence:
When you look at charismatic people, you will generally find common traits. We have identified a few traits and practices you can employ to help enhance your charisma.
- Be engaging and interesting.
I can already hear the question: “yes, but how?” Some people don’t feel that they are inherently interesting. We aren’t all world-travelers, we haven’t all had crazy adventures or wild careers, and many of us have rather “average” lives. (And I hate how “average” is seen as a negative here… but roll with it for now.)
But being interesting and engaging doesn’t have to involve extreme things. Instead, it’s about being good at telling the stories you have, knowing how to tailor messages to the audience, and engaging others in the discussion. Use attentive and energetic body language! Smile, make eye contact, and use open and inviting gestures. - Confident, Passionate, and Enthusiastic
While we’re speaking about body language, think about your word choices and the image you give others. Charismatic people are confident without being egotistical. They are frequently passionate about things (their cause, what they’re working on, or who they’re with). They frequently display high energy and enthusiasm and have the ability to infect others with optimism and energy. - Believe in Yourself & Know Who You Are
The things noted above become much, much easier if you have a clear picture of who you are. Know those fundamental truths and values that come from inside you and believe in your capabilities. That knowledge and belief will shine out to others. And it’s much easier to speak with passion about something you know in your heart is true! It’s easier to be confident when you have a strong foundation of knowledge. It’s easier to be interesting when you can articulate who you are to someone else!
Charismatic Leadership
Ok, so you feel that you’ve got some charisma, but how does this help you lead people? And no, just because you have charisma doesn’t mean you’re a snake-oil salesman. Let’s look at how charisma helps you lead others.
- Engage and be interested in others!
You can tell stories to help put people at ease, but the charismatic leader also pulls stories and messages from others. Practice active listening, show empathy, consideration, and connect with those around you. Use your energetic body language, but remember to be patient. Don’t let that energy make it look like you have “better things” to be doing. - Believe in Your People and Use Enthusiasm to Build Up Others
Encourage your team, and show your confidence in their abilities! Bring enthusiasm and energy to otherwise monotonous days. Share your passion and encourage others to speak about their own. People like to have a voice and feel heard. Develop an enthusiasm for sharing and listening to the stories of others. - Hone Your Word Choices and Your Message
It goes almost without saying that a lot of charisma comes from the message you are spreading. If you want people to follow you, you need to have a message that resonates. It helps if you can give them something to believe in as well. A common message that speaks to their hearts or minds. I’m not saying that everyone has to drink the same company drink, but a shared goal can really help. Help them see how they fit in and find the message that speaks to them.
The Cautionary Tales:
Don’t Rely on Charisma Alone
But charisma cannot operate in a vacuum. Charisma without supporting experience, knowledge, skills, or conviction starts to fall apart when people dig below the surface. A compelling individual may initially cultivate a following of people who believe what they say, but this starts to fade as facts and expertise weigh in to counter the untested belief. If you assert things as fact, make sure you can validate it! Don’t artificially inflate yourself or the situation… in other words, don’t become a liar to build up charisma!
Be Aware of Very Charismatic Individuals
Herein also lies the pitfalls when you interact with particularly charismatic people. Charisma in itself is neither “good” nor “evil” – it is just a piece of a person’s personality. But because very high charisma can help to sway someone’s beliefs, you should exercise a bit of caution when you come across these people. And this was ultimately the lesson delivered to that group of women mentees.
When you run into the very charismatic person, take a step back and think through what message they are delivering. This can be the explicit message (what are they saying), the implicit message (what are they doing), or the implied message (what are they asking others to do). Don’t be afraid to talk with others about these messages to get their thoughts! Outside perspective can help, and if the people who care about you seem concerned, take note. And remember that it’s ok to agree with part of what someone says or believes and not agree with other pieces. Don’t follow along with everything just because you like one thing, and be careful of getting caught up in group think.
I’m not saying every charismatic individual is bad. I’m fairly certain Oprah, Former President Obama, Eva Peron, and Winston Churchill (all recognized as highly charismatic people) were not out to take over and wreak havoc on the world. However, people like Hitler and Jim Jones show the extreme of charisma being used for destructive purposes. And there are several other examples that can be taken from the business world who create both a devout following and a staunch opposition through their use (and misuse) of charisma.
Charisma is a powerful tool to have in your toolkit. It’s ultimately most important to be authentic, so we don’t want people to try to pretend to something they are not. However, if you can build on some of these charismatic practices, you may find that they help make other leadership practices a little bit easier.
