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Charismatic people are said to have a special energy that makes them the center of attention and encourages others to follow them. We understand what charisma is – an innate gift or skill that can be developed
What is charisma
Charisma is the endowment with authority based on the exceptional qualities of the individual: intellectual, spiritual or otherwise.
The invisible force that allows individuals to drag others along was the first to be explored by the ancient Greeks. They called it charisma (in ancient Greek χάρισμα), literally translated – “gift from above” or “grace of the gods”. Another meaning of this word was “the ability to attract attention.” This skill was fully possessed by the Charites – three goddesses in ancient Greek mythology, personifying beauty, grace and attractiveness. With their charm and kindness, they aroused the admiration of people and the love of the gods.
The first famous thinker who used the concept of “charisma” to characterize the nature of leadership was Plato. He believed that charisma is of divine origin, is one of the pillars of power and a sign of a true ruler.
The ancient Greek interpretation of charisma has not lost its popularity even today. Having borrowed the term itself from antiquity, modern culture has not left in the past the idea that charisma is associated with the supernatural and divine. Today, many still believe that charisma is a quality that some get as a gift at birth, while others are never destined to get it.
At the same time, the experience of modern researchers in the field of psychology shows that the ancient Greeks were mistaken in considering charisma to be an innate gift. Thus, psychologist and research director of the research center at Stanford University Emma Seppala notes that charisma is “much more a skill that can be learned than a gift.”
Charisma as a pillar of leadership
The German sociologist Max Weber brought charisma out of the religious-mythological field into the secular field at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. He explored the forms of leadership and singled out charisma as the basis of one of its types – charismatic. Weber described charisma as “a quality of a person recognized as extraordinary by other people, due to which this person is evaluated as gifted with supernatural, superhuman, or at least special powers and qualities inaccessible to others.” Weber’s point of view is based on the analysis of social relations between a charismatic leader and those who follow him, believing in his exceptional qualities.
The ideas of thinkers that charisma can become the basis for leadership have been developed in the modern concept of the charismatic style of management. It is believed that it is people with charisma who succeed in managerial roles in the broadest sense, where one figure is at the head of a team or even an entire nation. What links, for example, Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and a popular school teacher? All of them, thanks to their personal qualities, have become the core of a certain society, whether it be the population of the country, a community of believers or a group of students.
Politician, teacher, businessman are professions that are primarily associated with manifestations of charisma. More broadly, often it is people with charisma who become leaders, they are more willing to entrust projects and teams. It seems to others that everything is working out for them, people believe in them and are ready to work “for them”. A charismatic team leader can become an important intangible factor in increasing the motivation of employees who will focus on him as a role model.
What makes charisma
Charisma has no exact formula. It consists of the personal qualities of a person, the combination of which seems attractive and even magnetic to others. Experts note that charisma is a subjective characteristic. Like beauty, charisma is in the eye of the beholder. Thus, we often agree on an appreciation of conventional beauty by observing, for example, regular facial features, but the degree of our admiration for it varies from person to person. It’s the same with charisma.
Olivia Fox Cabein, author of Charisma. How to Influence, Persuade, and Inspire,” who has lectured on leadership development at the United Nations, Stanford, and Yale, highlights the following elements of charisma:
- Presence in the present moment. A charismatic person is not just physically located, but “lives through” social situations, concentrating on his interlocutors, showing sincere participation and not avoiding reciprocal attention.
- Force, which radiates a self-confident person. This is his ability to influence the world around him. He knows exactly and demonstrates that he is in the right place, and his opinions and skills are of interest to others.
- Heat, emanating from a charismatic person, makes being around him pleasant and makes people linger around to bask in these “rays”.
Other experts also emphasize the role emotional intelligence (EQ – emotional intelligence) as an important component of charisma in modern people. Emotional intelligence is the ability of a person to recognize, evaluate and control their own emotions, as well as the emotions of other people and groups. The term was popularized by American psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence. Why it might matter more than IQ.” Goleman argues that for a leader, the ability to manage emotions is no less important than “ordinary” intelligence or education: “Without it, a person may have the best training in the world, a sharp analytical mind and an endless supply of ideas, but he still will not great leader.”
Emotional intelligence is shown, for example, by politicians in difficult or tragic situations. Thus, the words of Bill Clinton became famous, who answered the activist against AIDS, who interrupted his speech, that he “felt his pain.” He demonstrated humanity, which earned the support of voters. The opposite happened in Germany in 2021. Chancellorial candidate Armin Laschet was photographed laughing while visiting the flood-hit region as the country’s president spoke about the victims of the natural disaster. His ratings plummeted and he was forced to withdraw from the race.
How to check if you are charismatic
To help people gauge their level of charisma, researchers at the University of Toronto created a simple test in 2017. They called it The General Charisma Inventory or “The General Charisma Inventory”.
Scientists have determined that charisma comes down to two main factors: influence on others, that is, leadership abilities, and friendliness or the ability to win over others. They formulated six points, of which the first three are responsible for influencing others, and the last three measure the degree of friendliness.
To test your level of charisma, rate on a five-point scale how much each item describes you (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree):
- I stand out in the company.
- I can influence people.
- I can lead a group of people.
- I have others around me, people feel good with me.
- I often smile at other people.
- I can find a common language with any person.
Now divide your total score by 6 to get your average charisma score. According to the researchers, if it is higher than 3,7, you are more charismatic than the average person.
The scientists tested the effectiveness of the test on Amazon Web Services employees. The results showed that in most cases a person evaluates the level of his charisma in the same way as other people evaluate him.
Is it possible to develop charisma
Modern psychologists note that charisma can be developed, and there are many ways to do this. They note that charisma, although dependent on a person’s initial extraversion, can become a learned skill that can be strengthened, such as vocabulary when learning a foreign language.
Moreover, Ronald Riggio, a professor at Claremont McKenna College who has devoted many years to the study of charisma, argues that many people simply “do not realize the potential for developing their charisma” throughout their lives and do not even try to become more charismatic and thereby improve their lives. .
Some researchers are of the opinion that charisma and, in particular, emotional intelligence should be made a school discipline. According to Dutch neuropsychologist Eric Matser, “Teaching empathy and interpersonal skills in schools will help people reach their full potential in adulthood.”
Steve Jobs is often cited as an example of someone who gave himself a chance and managed to become an undeniably charismatic leader. Videos of his speeches on YouTube are still being watched by millions of people. But he started very differently. In recordings of his first public appearances, Jobs comes across as a rather shy person, sometimes even boring. Over the years, he developed his signature magnetism and what his colleagues would later describe as a “reality distortion field”. Bud Tribble, one of the original designers of the Apple Macintosh, was the first to use this phrase to characterize Jobs, quoting the sci-fi series Star Trek. If in the series the heroes created their own reality with the power of thought, then Jobs distorted the perception of the scale of the difficulties among his colleagues, forcing them to believe in almost anything. Thus, he convinced the team that any task is feasible.
Why develop charisma
Boosted Charisma:
- Serves as fuel to achieve goals. It works like a social accelerator, making it faster and easier to get what you want. Charisma creates an aura of success around a person, in which others believe, admiring him and wanting to help him achieve his goals.
- Compensates for gaps in training or qualifications. For example, let’s imagine two students who managed to read only half of the tickets before the exam. Both were unlucky: they got tickets from the unread half. But in the end, one came out with an A, because he managed to charm the examiner and quietly turn the conversation to those areas in which he was confident. The second was sent for a retake: realizing that he was not ready, the student answered hesitantly, desperately trying to remember at least something from the lectures.
- Multiplies results at work. According to Olivia Fox Cabein, charisma allows one successful salesperson to sell five times more than their peers in the same field. The fact is that it is more pleasant to buy from him. He not only gives the product for money, but also knows how to give the client good advice, jokes at ease, thanks for the purchase with a smile.
- For managers, it takes management to a whole new level. More and more companies are now hiring coaches for their top managers to bring charismatic elements to their personal management style. British psychotherapist and consultant Richard Reid, who created the author’s course on developing charisma and coached Google employees, notes: “Leadership comes with emotional intelligence, in fact, charisma lies in it. Leaders without EQ rely primarily on rules and regulations. EQ helps you manage by influencing other people, which is more effective.” In other words, in an atmosphere created by a charismatic leader, employees share the leader’s ideals and goals.
How to develop charisma
Work on self-presentation
It is the external image that others evaluate even before you begin to speak. Experts suggest the following:
- Show emotions more clearly. Ronald Riggio advises expressing emotions more clearly and precisely and controlling them when the situation requires it. Riggio suggests practicing in front of a mirror: just a few minutes of practice a day will allow you to get to know yourself better and prepare for communicating with other people.
- Smile. A smile symbolizes optimism and kindness, thanks to it you will win over the interlocutor.
- Take a confident posture. Olivia Fox Cabein writes in her book about how much a person’s posture affects how others perceive him. Postures that she calls the “big gorilla” or the royal pose can be useful for displaying non-verbal power, she says. The first is inspired by a boxing match: you need to try to fill all the available space. The second reflects self-control and poise, which do not tolerate unnecessary gestures, assent or excitement. A confident posture also affects the internal mood due to the contact of the brain and body.
These techniques may seem artificial, but it is important to remember the essential flaw in the human brain that makes them work: the mind often does not distinguish fact from fiction. Cabein cites a horror movie example: “Have you ever felt your heart rate go up while watching a horror movie? But it’s just a movie, and nothing threatens you. However, you get involved in the process, you begin to believe in it, and the body produces adrenaline in response.” This effect can be exploited portraying certain manifestations of charisma and forcing others to believe in them. As the English saying goes, “fake it until you make it true.” This is where Steve Jobs started.
Establish contact with others
- Be an attentive listener. According to Riggio, focusing on what others are saying and asking follow-up questions is even more important than what you say yourself. Bill Clinton successfully used this technique in his political career: people who met him said that he makes them feel like the most important person, and for this experience, many are ready to “pay” with sincere admiration.
- “Reflect” the interlocutor. This strategy is called mirroring: lightly imitating the behavior and gestures of another person automatically wins them over to you. In 1999, NYU researchers documented the “chameleon effect” that occurs when people unconsciously imitate each other’s behavior. This copying creates sympathy.
- Work on your speaking skills. Charismatic people speak calmly but passionately, with pauses but enough pace to keep their listeners’ attention. Oratory skills can be developed by recording yourself on a tape recorder and practicing in front of a mirror, imagining an audience in front of you. Professor John Antonakis of the University of Lausanne, who has researched ways to develop charisma, notes that personal stories, metaphors and comparisons make speech more lively, and the narrator more charming and “own” in the eyes of listeners.
Use internal or mental techniques
- Visualize. Olivia Fox Cabein advises before presentations and important meetings to imagine how you will conduct yourself. It is worth imagining everything – up to a smile and a handshake. During a real meeting, this will create the effect of a familiar situation and give confidence.
Cabein notes that scientific studies have shown that the more we use the brain, the more neural connections we activate and the stronger they become. Thus, the visualization of the desired, as it were, forces the brain to work on its achievement.
- Work on motivation and mood. A person can energize others and inspire to follow him only if he himself is “burning” with some kind of deed or idea.
Charisma Development Books
- “Emotional intellect. Why it might matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman. First published in 1995, the book became a worldwide bestseller and has been translated into 40 languages. The author discusses the difference between “ordinary” intelligence and “emotional” and why the owners of the first are often inferior to the owners of the second in achieving success at work and in personal relationships. The book will be useful to those who want to learn how to control emotional impulses, establish contacts and even guess the feelings of other people, having others around them.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The book has become a classic of business literature and has not lost its relevance for several decades. Carnegie advises to smile at the interlocutor, show attention to his interests, listen carefully, be sincere and avoid criticism.
- Charisma: How to Influence, Persuade and Inspire by Olivia Fox Cabein. The book debunks the myth that charisma is a gift from the gods. Kabein proves that charisma is a skill that everyone can master and gives practical advice on how to train it.