Charisma and you – the 3 traits of a charismatic leader

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Some people seem to ooze charisma out of every pore while others appear to have none.  Do you have ‘it’?  Do you think you need ‘it’?  More importantly, if you don’t have ‘it’, can you get ‘it’?

What is charisma?

Charisma is the X-factor, a mysterious elusive quality – think of Mahatma Ghandi, Sir Winston Churchill, Aung Son Suu Kyi, or Nelson Mandela.  These charismatic and successful leaders all have common personality traits: passion, commitment; holding true to their beliefs against all odds; persistence in the face of adversity, and caring for others, often above themselves.  Being charismatic is an important leadership skill as a charismatic person uses their skills to get people on their side, perhaps from a professional, ideological or social point of view.

 

Do you have charisma?

Do you think you have charisma, or do you feel this is just not you?  The great news is, as with most leadership skills, with focus and dedication you can develop the traits yourself and become more charismatic.

Knowing who you are and what you are on this earth to do is key to charisma as people that know this generally have passion, commitment and drive – the key ingredients of charisma.  Being charismatic also involves paying careful attention to how you interact with other people as the traits that make up charisma are positive and appealing to others.

The everywoman Leading with charisma workbook (member login is required to access the complete workbook) gives insight and information on how to be a charismatic leader, starting with the 3 traits of charismatic leaders:

  1. Being confident – charismatic people are confident, or at least appear to be, confident, and are confident in a positive way without being boastful or egotostocal.  They communicate with confidence and help others feel confident, which aids and enhances the communication process.
  2. Showing optimism – they are, or at least appear to be, optimistic.  This means they try to see the best in other people, situations and events, and usually remain cheerful and bubbly.  They also have the capability to encourage others to see things as they do, they enthuse and enable others to feel more optimistic.
  3. Being interesting and interested – charismatic people are both interesting – others want to listen to what they have to say – and interested – they want to listen to what others have to say.  They are often good storytellers with an engaging manner. They are able to communicate their message clearly and concisely, being serious and interjecting humour where appropriate to keep their audience attentive and focused. The charismatic person can be empathetic and considerate towards others, remembering details from previous conversations and therefore gaining respect and trust. In essence, a charismatic person has sincere smiles, maintains eye contact, and is polite and courteous – all very effective ways of getting people on your side. People are much more likely to do things for you if they are treated well and you are nice to them.

If you want to learn more about how to be a charismatic leader, work through the everywoman workbook, Leading with Charisma right now.  Some of the exercises can be completed online and others will require practice – they are all practical tools designed to support your development.

Do any of the above traits ring true with you and your personality?  Leave a comment below (members only) about what you think are traits of a charismatic leader, or well-known people you feel have charisma.  Perhaps add a comment about what traits you want to work on or advise other readers about what you have done to build your own charisma.

*everywomanNetwork membership gives you access to workbooks, webinars, interviews, case studies and expert advice, plus promotional opportunities for you or your business, member discounts and offers, and the ability to connect with like-minded women.

 

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