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10 Charismatic Leadership
Characteristics, Attributes and Traits
Y Scouts

5-6 minutes

Charismatic leadership involves a sense of

style, flair, and confidence.

These charismatic leaders have a quality which is hard

to pin down, but which attracts followers and inspires
people to action. Transformational leaders are often
highly charismatic because they are capable of initiating
and maintaining a significant level of change in the
organization.

The following are some of the most prominent

characteristics of charismatic leadership.

1. Communication

Charismatic leaders have extraordinary skills in

communication. This helps to motivate employees
through tough times and also help them stay grounded
when things are good. The leaders are equally
comfortable communicating one-to-one or in a group
setting.

2. Maturity
Though they have a very powerful personality, a
charismatic leader also has maturity and character. They
don’t believe in empty showmanship, but they draw on
their wisdom and knowledge which they have
accumulated over the years of life and business
experiences. They behave in a mature and responsible
manner on all occasions.

3. Humility

Charismatic leaders also have a sense of humility. They

place a lot of value on each employee, and have the
ability to truly listen to their concerns. The charismatic
leader is able to convince the employee of the value that
they bring to the organization, and show them how their
contributions impact the strategic interests of the
company. They inspire great loyalty from their
employees.

4. Compassion

Successful charismatic leaders are also compassionate.

Charisma alone may not be enough, because there’s a
very real possibility that it can disintegrate into mere
hero worship. Compassion, integrity, honesty, and
fortitude are also qualities that successful charismatic
leaders exhibit.

5. Substance

Charisma can exist without substance, but only for a

very short time. Flashy and glitzy behavior may capture
the attention of people, but eventually they will want
something substantial beneath the facade. A
charismatic leader must not only talk the talk, but also
walk the walk. Charm gets him the face time, and
substance closes the deal.

6. Confidence

It goes without saying that charismatic leaders are truly

confident. They are the glass half full kind of people, and
are comfortable with who they are. They understand
themselves well and do not try to be anyone else.
Charismatic leaders are secure and confident enough to
be comfortable in their own skin.

7. Positive body language

One of the first things that you’d notice about a

charismatic leader is their warm, open, and positive body
language. They make eye contact with were that they are
talking to, smile, and introduce themselves to strangers
with the genuine joy of making a new contact. They have
an endearing swagger, and they are authentic.

8. Listening skills

Charismatic leaders are extremely good listeners. When

they listen to you, they don’t fidget or look distracted. A
charismatic leader pays attention to what is being said,
and listens with interest. They are engaged in the
conversation and act with empathy.

9. Self-monitoring

One of the attributes of charismatic leaders is that they

often tend to watch themselves. They are aware of their
powerful personality, and the fact that their followers are
watching them constantly. For this reason, they consider
it important to portray a good image of themselves to
their followers. This can be achieved only with self-
monitoring.

10. Self-improvement

A charismatic leader understands that he has certain

qualities that make him different from others, and that
these are the qualities that get him attention and make
him charismatic. So he also knows how important it is to
continually improve himself.

Additional Resources:
Curious about your characteristics? These resources will
assist on your journey to self-discovery:

Executive Interview Questions

Myers Briggs Type Indicator
Trait Leadership Characteristics

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