Charisma is one of the qualities found in great leaders. You may not have been born with ‘charisma’, but as with most leadership skills, you can develop elements of being a charismatic leader within yourself; it all starts from within.
Being charismatic involves a combination of three internal drivers:
- The Career Satisfaction Formula: When you imagine a charismatic person you probably don't picture a person who is bored, watching the clock, who can’t wait to get out of the office and head home. Being passionate about what you do is the foundation of charisma, and when combined with well-defined skills and a set of values, can be a potent combination. The formula for a motivated working life is Skills + Passion + Values = Career satisfaction. The everywoman workbook, 'Leading with Charisma' (member login is required), has an exercise to help you work on this area.
- Knowing who you are: Charismatic individuals sell who they are and are adept at communicating their major strengths; they are very aware of their personal brand. Everything you choose in life – where you live, the art on your walls, the friends you associate with – are all extensions of you and help make up your personal brand ('what people say about you when you're not in the room'). Work through the 'Leading with Charisma' workbook for the one-minute branding workout on knowing who you are.
- Optimism: Being optimistic makes you more persistent in pursuing what you want, even in adversity. For example, an optimist will think they will succeed in every part of life and “it’s all due to me”. A pessimist will think they will sometimes succeed in specific circumstances and “it’s possibly a fluke”. To be charismatic you need to chase away any negative thoughts associated with being a pessimist. Work through the 'Leading with Charisma' workbook for the ‘Thinking Style’ exercise to identify any areas you can improve on.
Log in to the workbook to discover more on charisma, from how charismatic leaders think and communicate, to how to hone your energy levels and interpersonal skills to become a great and charismatic leader.
