HOW TO BE CHARISMATIC
Charisma : Seprates good from the great!
Hey, Re-inventors,
I’m sure you have met people in your life that you feel like talking to all day and you think that they are “Charismatic” or may be seeing a great leader in action makes you feel like that. Right?
Charisma is a skill that is very important for success.
We all know when we see charisma in a person, but it is hard to define for sure, the specific activities/steps that will make a person charismatic.
All the great leaders in history such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Steve jobs, Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher etc. had a lot of charisma.
People often say that having charisma is binary concept, you EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON’T.
HOWEVER, in my personal opinion, that is NOT TRUE.
Dr. David J Schwartz, in his book “The Magic of Getting What You Want”, states that charisma is not determined by HEREDITY (physical traits) but it is SPIRITUAL and can be learned by changing our attitudes, beliefs and viewpoints which is why President Roosevelt had a lot of charisma even though he couldn’t walk.
Dr. Schwartz then highlights the Five Guidelines to use your will to shape up your charisma:
1. BE HUMBLE:
“A true genius admits that he/she knows nothing.”
― Albert Einstein
It is really worth noticing that charismatic people are full of humility. This quality really plays a significant role in attracting people.
Resist the temptation show-off how strong you are or how big your bicep is or how you achieved the target at your workplace or whatsoever.
People never like to stay with egotistic people. So, don’t try to force charisma out of yourself and let it come naturally and gradually.
2. ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES:
Always let people tell you about their interests, hobbies, kids, jobs, opinions etc. because people always love to talk about themselves.
Even when someone asks you a certain question, answer it and try to revert it back to the person by saying “what do you think?” and simply ask about his/her opinion on that particular subject so that the center of the conversation remains on the other person.
3. UNDIVIDED ATTENTION:
The point is simple and does not need much explanation. People like to be heard.
Don’t be looking here and there trying to spot someone while talking to the person standing in front of you. That really feels insulting.
Give full attention to the person even for 2 minutes rather than partial attention for 30 minutes.
4. ACT ALIVE AND PUT ANIMATION INTO EVERYTHING:
From your smile, to your walking style, to your voice, to your handshake everything should seem alive and human rather than a body signaling that you are dead.
Dr. Schwartz mentions in his book, “Most people act dead and death rebels people — it never attracts them.”
5. GENUINELY HELP PEOPLE:
I know you must have heard this cliche advice from lots of people. But I am here to tell you that it really works.
“The truth always wins” — Gary Vaynerchuck
The authenticity that you have along with your intent matters a lot. If the person knows that you are helping him/her to solve their problem(s), they will automatically perceive you as charismatic.
Also, other people’s perception actually does not matter here, because what matters most is the SATISFACTION THAT YOU GET.
Wrapping it up, being charismatic is actually an important variable of the equation for success and thus some way or the other you should try to instill the above mentioned beliefs in your belief system as well, not because you want to attract people, but because you want to Re-invent yourself into a BETTER YOU.
Cheers!!
