The secrets to being charismatic

In our highly connected, fast-changing world, we’re all on the lookout for charismatic leadership. What qualities does someone need for us to consider them to be charismatic? Charisma, according to the

Oxford English Dictionary, is “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others”. Robert House at the University of Pennsylvania has studied the relationship between charisma and leadership. He has found a strong link between the two, although concedes that an individual need not necessarily be charismatic to become a leader. A charismatic leader, he argues, is supportive, sensitive, nurturing and considerate; a non-charismatic one is aggressive, demanding, dominant and critical. In one of his studies, he looked at the leadership effectiveness of US presidents and found that the ability to stand up strongly to crises – but also show self-restraint in their use of power – are other important qualities.

Katherine Klein at the University of Maryland adds that a charismatic leader is socially aware and sensitive to the concerns of those they hope to attract. So, charisma must be a twoway relationship in which a leader exhibits qualities and convictions that reflect the needs of their followers.

Howard Friedman and his colleagues at the University of California Riverside tested 54 undergraduates for personal qualities. They found that personal charisma – how likeable the students were judged to be on first encounter

– was correlated with extroversion and emotional expressiveness.

Finally, Cynthia Emrich at Purdue University examined the inaugural addresses of US presidents and compared each to the perceptions of their charisma and greatness. She noted that those who used image-based rhetoric were considered to be the greatest and most charismatic leaders. Think, for example, how much less effective Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech would have been had he simply argued the need for equality, rather than inviting us to imagine a nation where “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”.

Putting all this together, what are the qualities that together create charisma? Extroversion: charismatic people are outgoing, socially confident and genuinely interested in other people.

Empathy: they’re “tuned in” to the individuals they hope to attract as followers, aware of their needs and concerns. They ask open questions and make good – but not too much – eye contact. They’re excellent listeners, and are considerate, sensitive and supportive of others.

Emotional expressiveness: charismatic individuals are passionate about what they believe in and unafraid to show their emotions, but also show self-restraint.

Excellent communication skills: the charismatic know how to express themselves clearly, both verbally and non-verbally. They convey messages by telling “stories”, and paint powerful images in their speeches.