Charisma can be one of those things that you “know it when you see it or feel it.” One definition of charisma is “a personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people”.
It seems that some people naturally possess more of it than others. Charisma can draw people to you and have them want to engage with you. Positional power can even create an illusion of charisma and enhance the perception of your presence.
After all, it is easy to assume the person in any high-level position has something you may not, so you may listen for them to stand out in some way. For example…
…If they are quiet, you might assume they are just very observant.
…If they speak eloquently, you may assume it comes natural to them.
…If they get angry, you might infer that they must be passionate and have a good reason.
…If you don’t understand them, you may think that you just don’t understand or see what they see.
In today’s world, power – the power to influence, to make a difference, to lead others – does not come from position alone.
As organizations have become flatter, positional leaders need to be more connected and present, at least if you hope to ignite the level of engagement that makes your team or organization thrive.
As organizations have become flatter, positional leaders need to be more connected and present, at least if you hope to ignite the level of engagement that makes your team or organization thrive.
And you can't simply depend on your charisma to enable you to sustain your influence with others. Because while charisma may draw people to you, it is unlikely to build trust in you.
What can you depend on as a leader to give you the power to lead others?
AUTHENTICITY
The most potent source of a person’s power to influence others comes down to one thing – authenticity. Consider that authenticity is the “new charisma”. Authenticity is the access to the heart of your presence and your ability to engender trust.
Unfortunately, we no longer trust that our leaders will act in our best interests. The reality is that we are more likely than ever to mistrust positional power.
Many hesitate to trust those who are more charismatic, no matter how much we feel compelled to fall under their spell, because charisma can come across like a mask to who you really are.
Before we will trust you, we want to know that you are being real with us.
If you want to establish your presence and increase your influence as a leader, forget the smoke and mirrors of charisma and instead focus on keeping it real.
If you want to establish your presence and increase your influence as a leader, forget the smoke and mirrors of charisma and instead focus on keeping it real.
You must, of course, start by being qualified, bringing competence and reliability in delivering results to the table. And charisma can be an asset, although it is not required.
What will elevate your presence and your influence, comes down to how you interact with people.
You can’t just do the work. You must be able to bring your whole self to doing the work, and have the courage to reveal who you really are in the process.
So whether you have charisma or not to depend on as a source of your strength in being a leader, the good news you can increase your power by focusing on being authentically you.
Here are three questions to ask yourself if you want assess your own level of authenticity:
- Am I sharing what is truly important to me?
- Do I demonstrate that I care about what is important to others?
- Do my deeds consistently match my words?
What questions can you ask yourself to guide you in being more authentic with those you lead?