Although being charismatic is not sufficient alone to guarantee success in business, it does provide an advantage. Organisations that attract and develop the charisma of their workforce improve their impact and influence that leads to an increase in overall business performance.
Trice and Beyer’s studies, undertaken in 1996, show that charismatic leaders and managers affect their followers and have an important impact on the organisational culture. The Cremer and Knippenberg report, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, 2002, used scenario experiments, cross-sectional surveys and laboratory studies to prove that charismatic leaders and managers have a stronger effect on cooperation than their non-charismatic counterparts. Most leaders today appreciate the impact that a charismatic presence can have on their effectiveness. Charismatic leaders attract more publicity and more attention from outside groups, as well as exerting a strong (albeit invisible) bond with their organisation’s workforce. Numerous studies and experiments have been conducted that prove conclusively that charismatic leaders are more successful.
But how can you nurture and create more charisma within your organisation?
In behavioural science, you pinpoint the specific elements of an individual’s behaviour that cause them to generate a predictable response. This approach can be applied to charisma. Once you have identified the elements, if you replicate these elements exactly, they create the same response as the identified or ‘modelled’ individual. This has had a huge impact on the study of charisma. Repeatable success is created by focusing on finding the best examples of people in a chosen field, and then investigating what it is they do that generates the results they get
Professor of Psychology, Albert Mehrabian, conducted a series of studies in 1971 on the relative importance of verbal and non-verbal communication. Yet when looking to assess charisma from an external measurement criteria there is a lack of consistent behaviours that when ‘modelled’ will replicate the state of charisma.
Therefore, the idea that any individual can become charismatic simply by replicating specific behaviours is frustrated by the lack of a pattern.
Charismatic people speak from their hearts. If you try to emulate Martin Luther King or any other charismatic individual, you effectively ‘act’, putting on a mask of charisma. Whatever external mask you choose to wear, if it doesn’t reflect the genuine, authentic ‘you’, this will create a feeling in others that ‘something just isn’t right about this person’. By connecting with the core elements that shape our character, we create the opportunity to develop a charismatic presence.
Charisma can only truly be developed by working from the ‘inside out’ - a philosophy that has compelled the development of my own internal blueprint for charisma.
There are five internal attributes that common to charismatic people and are vital to developing a strong magnetic persona.
1. High self-esteem
People with high levels of self-esteem feel comfortable in their own skin; this naturally conveys confidence and authenticity. 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.
2. 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. When work holds personal meaning an individual appears to ‘light up from within’. That’s why organisations who align their guiding principles with an individual’s career values will experience a surge in efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Sensory awareness
Individuals with heightened sensory awareness (Emotional Intelligence) 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 because they have the silent power of evoking a strong emotional response in others.
4. Shared vision
Charismatic people have a vision of what they want, not just for themselves yet for their organisation. This creates a strong energy of intent, an intensity that others can feel, an electricity. Scientific studies have proven beyond doubt that positive attitudes and strong intentions result in physical manifestations. Goals are attained more quickly.
5. Balanced 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.
The greatest differentiator among organisations of the future will be the ability to build world-class capability. The war for talent exists within all levels of an organisation. Great people will only work for organisations where they see other great people. Charismatic people stand out. They stand out, not simply because of external behaviours, but because they command our attention. They command our attention because we somehow sense their character, authenticity, power and presence.
Nikki Owen a consultant and author specialising in charisma
