CHARISMA: WHAT IS IT

AND HOW YOU CAN

BECOME MORE
CHARISMATIC
What is Charisma?

What does it mean to be highly charismatic?

A simple definition of charisma is:

A compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.

Most people think you have to be born highly charismatic, but charisma isn’t necessarily an innate talent.

Anyone can learn to be highly charismatic with the right understanding of charisma
science.
1. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) I am known for my skills am known for my skills

B) I am known for my kindness

2. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) I am considered a great team player

B) I am considered a great team leader

3. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) People sometimes interrupt me

B) People sometimes tell me I am hard to talk to

4. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) I am impressive

B) I am compassionate
5. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) I am patient

B) I am efficient
6. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) People think of me as an expert

B) People think of me as a caretaker

7. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) I can be seen as a pushover

B) I can be seen as intimidating

8. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) People would consider me competent

B) People would consider me warm

9. WHICH STATEMENT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU?

A) People consider me very friendly

B) People consider me very smart

You Are: The Warm Achiever
 
Characteristics of the Warm Achiever 
As a friendly face and a generous spirit, you excel in building others up. You have a keen listening
ear and are supportive of new ideas with your colleagues and team. As a Warm Achiever, you have
a desire for camaraderie, friendship and cohesion within the workplace.
 
You feel that the people in a place make or break the organization.

As a Warm Achiever, you:

• Are the first person in the office to ask about someone’s day–and you enjoy getting to know the
people you work with.
• Value regular professional engagement and are quick to offer a smile and listening ear.
• Respect those around you by encouraging participation and involvement from everyone–no
idea is a bad one.
• Coordinate team personalities effortlessly as you have an innate skill of knowing people’s
strengths.
You Are: The Competent Achiever
 
Characteristics of the Competent Achiever
As a diligent worker and mastermind, you excel in getting the job done. You have an innate ability for
efficiency and focus–you are the king/queen of completion. As a Competent Achiever, you have a desire for
clarity and systems within the workplace.

You know that without proper organization and planning, nothing can or will get done. 

As a Competent Achiever, you:

• Perform your given duties exceedingly well–the most important part of your work is the work itself.
• Excel in environments of quiet focus–you often prefer to work alone or in small teams.
• Respect the process. Everything should follow a strict process or system for efficiency.
• Are an impressive expert in your field with extensive experience and industry-recognized certifications.
How to Be More Charismatic?
1. Can You Learn Charisma?
Yes! You can definitely learn to develop your charisma. Before we dive into the charisma science, let’s do a little self-
diagnosis. How charismatic are you?

2. Charisma Does NOT Equal Perfection:

Can we bust a myth right now? There is a common misconception that highly charismatic people are perfect. That thei
charisma comes from their superior, high level skills, higher than average income or good looks. But this is not the cas
at all! Let’s look at the science:

Psychologist Richard Wiseman conducted a study where two actresses sell a blender to mall-goers. Actress #1 had a
perfect presentation and produced a flawless smoothie. Actress #2 had a great presentation, but “accidentally” forgot t
tighten the lid and the smoothie splashed all over her.
Actress #2, ‘the clumsy’ woman, was rated as more likable. Wiseman found that her vulnerability humanized her and
therefore increased her influence on the audience.
This vulnerability effect has been shown over and over again in the research. When we admit to weakness, others
connect with us and see us as more likable. So, let’s embrace your imperfections. Don’t feel the need to be perfect,
impressive or superior. Real charisma comes from authenticity, vulnerability and honesty.
3. Charismatic People Are Great
Conversationalists:
There is a wise saying, “You have two ears and one mouth, so
that should match the rate you listen and speak.”
Charismatic people know how to listen and listen well. 
They maintain the 2:1 ratio of listening to speaking. The
easiest way to speak less and listen more is to:

Ask tons of clarification questions.

Instead of staying on the surface at networking events, dig

deeper by asking follow-up questions and asking for
examples. Not only will you understand more about the
subject matter, you also will increase your connection. And
remember, when you’re speaking, you aren’t learning. 
4. Ooze Charisma By Gushing, Not Gossiping
There is a scientific principle called “
Spontaneous Trait Transference.” This fascinating
phenomenon describes that when you speak ill of someone else,
people can’t help but associate that same trait with you. In other
words, if you say someone is mean and shallow, the person
listening can’t help but assign those traits to you as well. This
finding shows us why our mommas might have been right
when they told us not to gossip!
Never, ever speak ill of others. If you want to talk about
someone, try gushing. Pick someone who you adore and share
all of their awesome qualities. Let’s try very hard to practice
gushing, not gossiping. It is wonderful to speak genuinely
about people you respect and admire.
One way to achieve this is to imagine you need to give a toast
to the person you’re talking about. What nice things might you
bring up that you can choose to share with the person you’re
speaking with now?
5. Improve Your Own Charisma and Redefine Boring:

“People are only boring when you fail to make them

interesting.”
 
 No one is boring. People have many layers. A good metaphor is to think
of people like an onion—layers upon layers of flavor. People also have a
lot going on beneath the surface—think of an iceberg. Only the very tip
is above the water for us to see. Some people might seem boring on the
surface, but their story lurks just beneath the water. The quiet person in
the corner has the most to say. All you have to do is ask. Everyone has
an incredible story within them. All you have to do is listen. You are
awesomely charismatic. All you have to do is be interested.

 You are responsible if you’re bored. People who are good with people
take responsibility. They don’t passively participate in conversation
hoping the other person will share something interesting. They actively
engage, hunt and delight. 
6. Avoid Bad Days
Even the most charismatic people fail to be charismatic when
they decide to socialize on bad days.  When you’re not feeling
your best – physically, emotionally, or mentally – it is impossible
to interact with people at your highest level of charisma. Even if
you try to look happy, your face will betray you by subtly
showing signs of your hidden emotions. It is much better to opt
out of going to a unnecessary event than it is to show up and be
unable to give people your best self.

LEARN TO SAY NO
7. Create a Competence Baseline
Researchers Andrea Abele and Bogdan Wojciszke asked people to
choose between two training programs.

One focused on competence-related skills – more in the realm of

being feared. The other focused on warmth-related skills – more in
the realm of being loved.

Most participants chose the competence-based training for

themselves but the warmth-based training for other people. In
other words, we like to be seen as competent, but we prefer to
work with people who are warm. This means we should create a
competence baseline for ourselves and then focus on warmth. In
other words, make sure your skills are up to the task — this is a
fundamental part of being charismatic at work. But once you know
your skills are up to snuff, it’s time to focus on your likability.
Charisma is closely linked to our Likability.
8. Likability is Key To Your Own Charisma
Researchers Joseph Folkman and Jack Zenger studied 51,836 leaders to discover how significant a role likability plays
in their success. They found that only 27 leaders who were ranked in the bottom 25 percent for likability also ranked in
the top 25 percent for leadership effectiveness. That means there is only approximately a 1 in 2000 chance a leader can
be unlikable and successful.

Likable leaders earn the trust of their team members and treat them well. Researchers discovered that when people feel
respected by their leaders and are comfortable with them, they perform better on teams.
Teams with likable leaders also tend to be more stable long-term because of lower turnover rates. In a Gallup survey of
why people had quit their jobs, almost 50 percent said it was to escape bad bosses. This suggests that one of the reasons
unlikable leaders fail to produce positive results is they can’t hold onto their top-performing team members.

Even if they can hold on to their top performers, unlikable leaders almost always are incapable of leading teams
through changes, whether that’s introducing a new project, changing a process or going through a company
restructuring. For organizational change to be implemented effectively, people have to voluntarily change; if a leader
forces them to do so, most people won’t work efficiently because they are unwilling to adopt the changes.
It takes a likable leader who has earned the trust of their team to convince people to willingly step out of their comfort
zones and do something a new way.
9. Charismatic People Bring People Together
Charismatic people are socially wealthy. What this mean is
they have lots of connections and share them regularly. Highly
charismatic people are not only great at meeting new people,
but also sharing their talent with their connections by
introducing people who they know will get along well.

This quality is part of the reason charismatic people are such

sought after connections; they spread their social wealth.

LEARN TO BE MASTER IN
NETWORKER
10. Be a Professional Cheerleader
Researchers find that highly charismatic people are often the best leaders in fast-paced environments because
their infectious optimism helps keep their teams motivated during challenging times. This works in social
situations as well. Rather than skeptically listening to people’s goals and ideas, charismatic people offer
encouragement. In a professional setting, you want to find ways to encourage people while still holding them
accountable. Make it a point to:

 Reward good work.

 Assign credit where credit is due.

 Give genuine compliments.

BE A BETTER LEADER
THANK YOU