CHARISMA – What is it, who has it, and where can we get it?

Whilst it can be a difficult thing to define, most people recognize it when they see it; and nearly all agree it is one of the most admired qualities an individual can possess. But what exactly is ‘Charisma’, this most elusive and enigmatic of attributes, and can its secrets be taught? Indeed, does there exist a training programme designed to do just that? If so, what then are the implications for business?

Outside (though clearly including) the showbiz world of the luvvies, the term ‘charismatic’ is used to describe a person who has an exceptional ability to engage others; someone whose company you seek, whose presence you find hard to resist. Crucially, a charismatic leader is someone who manifestly inspires, motivates and sometimes mesmerizes the people they lead: Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, Nicola Horlick, Tony Robbins, Meg Whitman, Anita Roddick, Jeff Skilling, Clara Furse and Tom Peters come easily to mind. To the effective leader, charisma is currency. In fact, anyone who depends on making an exceptional impression on others for their livelihood should consider the question of charisma.

We are all intrinsically and fundamentally social animals, and in the business world it has been proved time and again that successful human relationships are at the core of successful businesses. Most of us enjoy the company of others, but we enjoy the company of charismatic people even more because we simply feel good in their presence. It is also true that charismatic individuals particularly enjoy social interaction and view each situation as a new opportunity to express and share their charisma. For them, communicating is a truly pleasurable and rewarding activity. Prime examples of this type of individual are professional entertainers whose lifeblood is the sound of their audience’s joyful applause of appreciation.

It is rational to suppose that if we all had the skills and therefore the confidence to express our personal presence at a charismatic level our prime motivation in the world would surely be to communicate and positively connect with as many people as possible. In terms of business practice, this would translate into a desire to successfully engage with customers and colleagues alike. This makes establishing human contact and mutual rapport one of the prime movers in terms of the call to action in the work place.

Why? Because if we achieve positive feedback and recognition for doing something well, the more we want to do it. And if genuine and effective contact is made with a potential customer or client, the possibilities for future business are manifold. Sounds reasonable, but how realistic is it to assume we can all develop more charisma?

Historically, charisma has been regarded as something you can’t be taught – you simply have it or you don’t. Even the eminent sociologist Max Webber, who thought the subject worthy of a rigorous study, described charisma as: ‘A certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities.’ I’m sorry, Max, could you repeat that? Fortunately things have changed since old Max stroked his wise bearded chin and ruminated on the subject. We now understand a lot more about charisma and in fact serious attempts have been made to isolate and quantify behavioral measures for it – thereby allowing the possibility of learnable elements.

Charisma is not ‘Charm’

A helpful way of understanding charisma is to begin by distinguishing it from what it is not; and what it is not is ‘charm’. Charm, as distinct from charisma, is that which merely seduces, pacifies, assures and unintentionally promotes complacency. Those who possess charisma on the other hand, inspire, enliven, excite, delight and promote action.

Interestingly, this is not to deny we can sometimes find someone charismatic and yet still dislike them (mentioning no names, but I’m thinking of an Iron Lady standing beside a small, not so comic man with a comedy moustache); whereas it is much harder to dislike a charmer. ‘Charming’ individuals have an appeal we sometimes find irritatingly pleasant but are people we can also easily live without (and now I am thinking of a certain perma-tanned chat show host of the old school).

The charismatic personality conveys wisdom, beauty, sex and power, whereas the charmer merely exudes, sensuality, wit and self-assurance. But here is the defining fact: once the charmer has left the room they take with them their effect; not so with the charismatic individual. After they have gone they create an emotional vacuum which leaves others longing to be back in their company as soon as possible. In other words their effect is long lasting. Charm may win over a table full of dinner guests but only charisma can hold the attention of a football stadium full of strangers. We can all think of people amongst our friends and acquaintances, at work, in the media or from the world of entertainment, who fall clearly into each category.

Recently I was alerted to some interesting research undertaken by a team of HR practitioners (Dr. Paul M Connolly PhD. Performance Programs Inc. 2000). They had hired a behavioral psychologist to create and develop behavioral measurements that could be studied to support plans for nurturing and training high potential leadership candidates. The purpose of the research was to provide tools which would give candidates a unique insight into how to improve their leadership skills by emphasizing certain traits and behaviors.

The chief topic on the agenda of their initial meetings was the question of personality vs. behavior as the source of one of the most effective and desirable leadership traits: charisma.

A questionnaire-style survey was prepared and an extensive study undertaken. 135 managers from various companies’ high potential lists were studied and the results from the behavioral instrument revealed that characteristics dependent on individuals’ energy levels (i.e. physical movement, expression of enthusiasm, physical prowess, and vocal projection) factored most highly in those considered exceptional. When correlations on personality instruments were considered, the study further demonstrated that individuals who came to management with gregariousness, confidence, enthusiasm, good soft skills and a positive attitude combined with the energy dimensions, these individuals were considered to be charismatic. Those, however, possessing all the personality traits but who were lacking in energy were considered less exceptional. This led to the conclusion that there was an aspect of an individual ’s personal presence, other than personality or behavior, which set them apart from others – namely Personal Energy.

The question was, what is charisma? The answer is: Charisma is the by-product of the intelligent transmission of intense, concentrated personal energy embodied and expressed in behavior and personality.’

The business uber-guru Tom Peters acknowledged the importance of personal energy at a seminar he delivered on leadership in London (2003) with these closing words: ‘Never, ever, ever, ever, ever promote any human being to any position who does not vibrate, who does not give off intensity, who does not literally exude energy.’

But what is ‘personal energy’, how do we recognize it, and how does it work? Clearly, we are aware of our own personal energy levels. All of us at times will feel energetic and at others listless. Furthermore, in a more intangible way, it is also difficult not to feel or be affected by the presence of another human when they are in close proximity to us. The science of biology and biochemistry has clearly demonstrated that all living systems can only thrive while in an energetic exchange between each other. There is in fact a huge amount of scientific research and evidence surrounding the idea of human energy which makes very interesting reading.

Suffice to say that since human beings are living biological systems we are still in the realms of sanity, reason and logic when we talk in terms of an energetic exchange between people and the environment. So with this in mind it’s time to suspend disbelief and consider a discovery that may revolutionize leadership development training and create a new paradigm of interpersonal communications:

The Energetics of Charisma

We are made of energy and at the same time we possess energy, but some of us are more energetic than others. Having said this, some highly energetic people can fill a room with a joyous, mesmerizing and inspiring presence, whilst others can simply be a hyperactive pain in the neck. The former is often described as charismatic, the latter as neurotic (if they are lucky). Both have an abundance of energy but the charismatic person knows how to channel it effectively. It is the management, focus and intelligent transmission of a dynamic life force that makes the difference between a charismatic person and a chaotic nuisance.

Energy is everything but matter matters. In other words: we may, at our source, be pure energy but until that energy becomes condensed and embodied into solid matter and expressed in behavior it remains invisible. Or to put it another way: it’s not how much energy you produce but how you use it. To be an effective communicator, whether in a business or social situation, it is highly advantageous to have presence, but surface structure soft skills such as body language, gesture; linguistic direction and voice quality, whilst very important, are not enough. There has to be an integration of a deep structure element; an aspect of the authentic self must be visible.

The effective business leader must deliver a plan and vision with strength and conviction but at the same time connect empathetically with each member of his/her team. Their style must be uncontrived and sincere yet contagious, in the same way a great actor or singer makes the performance of a difficult text or song look easy and natural. Because the professional performer seems comfortable, we are comfortable watching them and more able to enjoy the experience. This applies equally to keynote speeches or boardroom presentations. There must be a correlation between what is being communicated verbally and what is physically or somatically expressed. If there is a mismatch between the message and the somatic expression (body language) it will be almost impossible to maintain rapport and trust. Most if not all of this is about managing personal energy.

So the first stage in developing a charismatic persona is the management and focus of personal energy levels. This concept is closely related to our everyday experience of ourselves. As we have said, one is generally aware of fluctuations in one’s own levels of personal energy. But the curious thing about our personal monitoring and evaluation of energy is that unless we are genuinely stricken by illness, lacking in nutrients or suffering a disability, the lack or excess of personal energy begins in the mind.

Look to the ‘Luvvies’

There is no better place to observe the management and focus of personal energy for charismatic ends than the world of entertainment, where charisma is the chief currency. The livelihood of a performer depends on his or her ability to fully engage, captivate and hold the attention of their audience. Again, charismatic performers are not simply ‘born’; they have to work at their craft. There is a great deal to learn in the way entertainers express high levels of energy through use of their bodies, voice and language, and space and time. These are the tools and the unspoken rules which have historically been used to enhance their personal presence.

There is, for instance, a healthy respect among thesps and directors for left and right positioning when it comes to stage and screen craft. The theory is too complex to go into here but it is clearly possible to apply such principles to interpersonal communications. For example, you may or may not be aware that by standing on the left-hand side of a right handed person you are likely to elicit an increased ‘emotional’ response to your presence than if you stood on their right. This can be so powerful as to literally alter their mood – for better or worse. In addition, when gesturing as you speak, you are sending specific, subliminal messages which alter meaning depending on what height your arms are held.

The actor’s voice also has tremendous subliminal power. The old adage, It’s not what you say but the way that you say it, was certainly coined in the theatre. The best stage and screen performers are well aware of the rhythms, beats and tones of voice that can lull an audience into a stupor or increase its expectation to the point of triggering an adrenalin rush.

The charismatic entertainer needs to project their performance (just like the charismatic business practitioner), but obviously they cannot operate with this kind of high-level energy all the time. They have instead learnt to generate more energy in key situations to improve their effectiveness. Their skill is to focus and deploy personal energy where the need for impact is greatest. For the experienced stage and screen performer this process begins in the mind.

With developmental roots in the world of entertainment, Charismalab© has made various discoveries surrounding ways in which it is possible to ‘tap’ into the psychological sources of personal energy – the use of psychological ‘Archetypes’ is one very interesting example.

One of the great pioneers of classic psychoanalysis Carl Jung was among the first to recognize that the brain contains imprints or mental representations of personality types common to all humanity which he named The Archetypes. Each of us has in our minds psychological blueprints that enable us to play various time-honored roles – they can be seen as our cultural DNA. They make social interaction predictable and empathy possible because we identify and know how to respond appropriately to the various roles people are playing.

The archetypal aspects of our personas give life to core elements of our thinking and a crucial part of developing a charismatic presence is energizing and activating certain archetypes. The simple act of authentically expressing key archetypes releases extremely high levels of personal energy that translates into a powerful, physical and psychological attitude. An individual performing with this level of awareness and understanding, who is also able to recognize and define the types of sub-personalities others express, will have a flexibility to their attitude which will be felt as an empathetic and dynamic presence.

Charismalab© has identified a potent triumvirate combination of archetypes responsible for producing the reaction that is commonly reported when people meet an individual described as irresistible, or in other words charismatic. The good news is this combination exists within every one of us. We all have the tools to create a charismatic presence, since the only ingredient required is the regulation, common or garden, standard issue, mind and body combo.

Large parts of the Business Community have for some time been alert to the far-reaching importance of employing people with personal presence, and continue to direct training resources in the direction of personal communication skills. A cutting edge training and development model which teaches energized charisma alongside body language, voice, gesture and other soft skills utilized by the world’s greatest entertainers and communicators represents a unique opportunity for companies and their employees and heralds a new dawn in the field of personal skills training.

For us, the power of the charismatic communicator is in the somatic expression of the total personality. At Charismalab© we focus on the existing qualities of each, unique individual we work with. We simply provide our clients with the tools and keys with which to explore and develop their own potential, on their own terms and in their own time. Business leaders, CEOs, CFOs, and managers with personal presence are highly valued currency in today’s corporate world. But don’t believe the myth that charisma is an innate gift reserved for the special few. Everyone has it, it’seasy to find, and we all have the potential to raise our personal presence to a charismatic level.

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