“Charisma is the quality of a person who seduces, influences or even fascinates others with his or her speech.” (Wikipedia)
“Indefinable aura of someone who tends to evoke agreement and fascination from many people and which is often associated with that person’s imposing bearing” (anonymous)
People with charisma usually stand out. They have something special about them that makes them exceptional people.
Charisma does not have much to do with good looks, wealth, titles or authority. Is it innate or is it developed? Although some seem to have inherited a good dose of it, we now have a better idea of its ingredients. In fact, it is not what we would call a “natural” quality, and a person is not necessarily born charismatic but becomes that way. In fact, there seems to be more to it than a charismatic profile.
Here are the essential ingredients to develop to some extent in order to increase your “charisma quotient”:
Have a vision: As a manager or boss, give meaning to everything you do. In other words, have a vision for both direction and content. Furthermore, ideally, that vision or grand project must align with your company strategy and be consistent with your own personality. Therefore, take some time to reflect on your vision for your future and that of your company, then write it down clearly with so you can enhance your project.
Find stimulating projects, and get out of your comfort zone: Individuals are concretely capable of taking calculated risks for their projects. Therefore, accept being unconventional, and invest in yourself emotionally and financially. At the same time, dedicate a good part of your time to your mission, projects or other causes that are important to you.
Communicate your vision: You have to know how to communicate your project or vision as well as possible and be able to talk intelligently about an emotional subject.
Know how to smile. Talk with your hands, express yourself clearly, be enthusiastic and dynamic, listen and do not judge. Furthermore, you must master your emotions. That does not mean containing them or not expressing them but rather knowing how to recognize and manage them—in short, how to use them appropriately depending on the circumstances.
Be consistent: To evaluate your charisma potential, it is crucial to analyze, several times if necessary, the way you behave in your private life. Am I a charismatic leader with my friends? With my kids? If the answer is yes, you can then try to reproduce certain attitudes and behaviours in the professional world, in your business, that you adopt in your private life.
Be confident while remaining accessible and human: Undeniably, there may only be a slight difference between confidence and pretentiousness. Therefore, sometimes you may have a clear vision of the future and have confidence in your methods and values. However, that does not mean that you have to be stubbornly sure of yourself and deny any concerns or even reject criticism and feedback. Furthermore, people who have charisma also know how to say that they have doubts, uncertainties, fears and desires, thereby making connections with others.
Listen to, respect and think about other people: Above all, try to understand others before being understood. Develop a healthy curiosity about the people to whom you are speaking; take an interest in them and respect differences.
Recognize and value other people: Charismatic people publicly recognize other people’s contributions. They regularly give positive feedback and praise everybody’s strengths and contributions. People really appreciate being recognized and therefore feel heard, supported and respected when others show them empathy
Remember that, whatever you do, charisma resides in the way others perceive you. Without regard from others, there is no charisma!
Pierrette Desrosiers,
Work Psychologist, professionnal speaker, author and business coach
