Although being charismatic on its own is not sufficient to guarantee success in business, few would disagree that a charismatic leader will have a significant ‘unfair advantage’. But can charisma be taught? Nikki Owen says 'yes'.
Charismatic people possess a powerful fusion of attractiveness and presence that commands attention with an irresistible force. And charisma is a powerful presence that enables the individual who possesses it to exert high levels of impact and influence. Ultimately, this leverages the odds of you achieving your desired outcome and accelerates career progression and achievement. You know when you have it, because people notice you; they pay attention to what you say, and gravitate towards you. Charismatic people find it easy to attract and influence others, a vital component in determining your level of success as a manager, a leader, a sales person and a trainer. Charisma is that special quality that can set you apart from your peers, enabling you to create a strong personal impact with your verbal and non-verbal communication.
Your own resource
Everyone has the potential to become charismatic, because it is a natural state that some individuals are able to access more frequently than others. When a person is feeling comfortable, confident and passionate about what they are doing, they begin to radiate an aura of energy that captivates the attention of people around them. Once you have tapped into your own charisma resource you activate its potential to grow and expand.
There is another exciting spin-off to possessing charisma: you’ll notice that with the expansion of your personal presence you’ll start to access your charismatic potential with greater ease. Charisma breeds charisma. This has a foundation of scientific proof from many physicist sources, including Schwartz’s creative experiments, Ghosh’s research and Zeilinger’s astonishing discoveries. They found that the energy of thought has the same effect as the energy of movement outside the thinker’s own body. Thoughts can become physical manifestations or, to put it another way, thoughts become things. If we feel confident and charismatic or if we act as if we are highly charismatic, the intention of these thoughts will manifest more feelings of confidence and charisma.
So what are the star qualities?
Charismatic people may exhibit differing characteristics and mannerisms, but they all possess the core five star qualities:
1. High self-esteem
They possess high self esteem and feel ‘comfortable in their own skin’. This conveys confidence and authenticity. When people possess high self-esteem, they are relaxed about showing others their true self. Think about it for a moment: if you value and respect yourself, you will naturally believe that there is a lot to like within you, so why try and hide it? Self-esteem is the primary reason why charisma can be contextual. Some people have high amounts of it in a work or career context, yet lack it when it comes to personal relationships. Elvis Presley ‘owned’ the stage because he was completely comfortable when performing. Yet put him in front of a journalist and he appeared vulnerable and insecure.
2. A driving force
Charismatic individuals live their life on the basis of what is important to them. Often referred to as ‘values’, these important considerations drive and motivate behaviour, so that individuals appear dynamic and enthusiastic. This driving force is also contextual, as there are many facets to a person’s life. Margaret Thatcher’s drive for her country and her political ambitions provided a stark contrast to how she was at home. Her daughter Carol Thatcher tells us that up until her father’s death, her mother cooked breakfast for him every morning. Their home was a relaxed, tranquil environment, devoid of conflict. At home, those close to her saw a very different Margaret Thatcher to her public persona.
3. Sensory awareness
Their sensory awareness allows them to tap into their feelings and the feelings and mood of others. Charismatic people are in touch with their emotions and uninhibited about showing them. This makes them expressive and compelling. Muhammad Ali was phenomenal at expressing his feelings through the use of poems he composed. One of the reasons why he attracted such extreme views (people either loved or hated him) was because he had the silent power of evoking a strong emotional response in others.
4. A vision
Charismatic people have a vision of what they want. This creates a strong energy of intent, an intensity that others can feel, an electricity. On a global scale, Martin Luther King had a dream for equality among men. On a smaller level, Muhammad Ali had a clear vision for what would happen during every round in every boxing match – even predicting the round he would knock his rival out. Scientific and medical discoveries have proven beyond doubt that positive attitudes and strong intentions result in physical manifestations.
5. High energy
Charismatic people have a high energy that perpetuates and builds energy within others, creating a ‘feel good’ factor. Energy is a life force that most of us take for granted. We will all have experienced people who drain our energy, leaving us depleted and depressed. Charismatic people both exude energy and simultaneously attract it. They know how to feed and nourish their internal energy levels, as well as how to expand and share even greater amounts. Martin Luther King, Elvis Presley, Margaret Thatcher and Muhammad Ali could all light up a room with their presence because their energy was extremely high.
What could being more charismatic do for me and my organisation?
Being more charismatic can help:
- harness the powerful effects of charisma to leverage your effectiveness across all aspects of your life;
- experience increased motivation, more self-confidence and greater power over the results you create;
- achieve faster career progression, greater financial rewards and increased job satisfaction;
- ignite the collective energy of a group of people, for improved communication, trust and productivity;
- feel comfortable being ‘authentically you’ in every context and in any situation; and
- generate increased loyalty and engagement from work peers, customers and personal relationships.
Organisations benefit from this through:
- improved effectiveness leading to increased productivity;
- increased sales due to improved influencing skills;
- better communication flow and improved interpersonal relationships;
- more authentic people who say what they really mean;
- increased motivation and confidence that develops visionary skills; and
- improved well-being that boosts attendance by reducing absenteeism and develops effective thinking by enhancing the right-side of the brain
Techniques for learning to be more charismatic
Individuals who possess high levels of self-esteem are able to be authentic with others in every situation. So when you are being you then you are unconsciously tapping into your charismatic potential. Understanding what factors impact on self-esteem enables you to take control of building and developing a strong sense of self-worth.
To build your self-esteem, try completing the following five minute exercise:
- write down 3 attributes you like about yourself;
- then, write a sentence containing each attribute ‘I like myself because I am (attribute)’;
- read each sentence aloud and notice how you feel; and
- then, every morning stand facing a mirror and repeat these sentences aloud.
Initially, you may find this an uncomfortable experience! Within a week you’ll notice an inner glow as you find it becomes easier to say nice things about yourself.
You might also like to try logging onto www.audiencewithcharisma.com/charisma-profile/full.php and try out the profiling tool that rates your charisma and identifies the elements you need to work on to create an increased charismatic presence. A more detailed analysis of charisma can also be found in the PDF document: An Audience with Charisma, the art of development presence and gravitas. This is downloadable from: www.businessballs.com/freespecialresources/Charisma_Report.pdf