Charisma is one of the most essential traits of a successful person. If you look at the leaders, innovators, legends and the generally successful, the one quality all of them possess is charisma. In order to aspire to such heights, it’s important to understand why charisma is so necessary for success.
Charisma is not something you can teach someone and not something someone can just pick up along the way. You either have it or you don't. It is one of the only qualities that you are born with, so essentially it comes down to the luck of the draw. Many argue whether it is a product of nature or nurture, but after close examination of the most successful people on planet earth, researchers have noticed it is indeed something with which you are born.
Successful people are leaders; they have the ability to get people around them to help them achieve their ultimate goal. A task that’s a lot easier said than done. Leaders are essential presences in humanity, they are the ones that have the courage and the ability to instill belief inside others to support what they are doing and help them get to where they want. It’s not what you do; it’s why you do it -- that is what gets people behind you.
Charismatic leaders are essentially very skilled communicators – individuals who are both verbally eloquent and can communicate with followers on a deep, emotional level. They are able to articulate a compelling or captivating vision, and are able to arouse strong emotions in their followers. That is what makes them successful. Steve Jobs didn't do it all on his own, he had the most talented people behind him believe in his dream and propel him because of his charisma and ingenuity.
It is what brings light to the room when you walk in. It is about making people feel a way that others can't. It’s about having an impact and being listened to as if you are a god on earth when you speak. That is not something that can be taught or developed; it is just something that you naturally have, just like being naturally athletic.
Charismatic people are successful because they have the eye of the tiger, they are the alpha personality that can still connect and empathize with everyone and make them feel just as important as anyone else. Here are the 10 habits of charismatic people that make them so successful:
10. They Make For Great Listeners
People tend to undervalue how important listening is. Not just to make someone feel important, but rather to understand what he or she has to say and where his or her head is at. Without listening you don’t know what someone is thinking. Asking the right questions, with eye contact, appropriate nodding, body language. All this comes into play when communicating with someone who is charismatic.
Charismatic people understand what not to say and what to say in many situations. They know that by simply listening to someone, they have just converted them because they have the ability to make them feel special.
9. They Are Observers
People underestimate the importance of observing everything. Observation is seeing everything that is going on around you: the people, the setting, the energy, who’s who and what is actually going on beyond what the artificial purpose of the gathering was.
Many people might be able to see, but they do not have vision. Charismatic people see everything and watch everything. It is almost impossible to get something past them or over them because they are so obsessed with the details of everything.
Remarkably charismatic people walk around as if they have a telescope embedded in their eye. Before they do something or act on something, they study it by watching it. This allows them to prepare themselves for any situation that may arise.
8. They Know The Right Time And Place For Everything
In a world where there are tons of distractions, charismatic people hold respect for others. They won't sit in front of you looking at their phones, focusing on something unimportant or being easily distracted. They give their full attention to others, which makes them feel important. That’s a gift few people give. That gift alone will make others want to be around you and remember you and will make them want to work harder for you.
7. They Are Selfless
They understand that you have to give before you get. They never focus on what they can get out of something; rather they focus on what they can provide for the people around them, as well as the world. They understand that your input equals the result.
6. They Don’t Act Self-Important
It is okay to be cocky, confident and a bit arrogant, as charismatic people do possess those qualities, but they also understand that there is a line that they shouldn't cross -- and that line is acting as if they are self important and a big shot. It’s called being a cheap show-off and you see this too often with people taking credit for things to make themselves look great, but those people are easy to identify.
The only people who are impressed by your stuffy, pretentious, self-important self are other stuffy, pretentious, self-important people. The rest aren't impressed, they are actually uncomfortable with the fact that your insecurities leave you feeling the need to show off. Charismatic people don't ever cross that line because they can't afford to be public enemy number 1.
5. They Understand How Important Others Are
Rome was not built in a day, nor was it done by just one person. We live in a world where we need others to help us get to where we want. Not only can you learn from other people, but you can use them in your favor as well. Charismatic people understand that it is not the quantity of people that you have in your life, but rather the quality of them and they value those relationships pretty highly. It’s not what you know, but who you know nowadays.
4. They Are Humble
Great leaders inspire action, they do this by giving credit to others and being humble, never forgetting where they came from and never trying too hard to impress anyone. They let their actions speak for themselves, whereas people depend on their words to do so.
That is the difference between greatness and mediocrity. They give praise to those who are performing well to inspire them to work harder. By being humble they create emotional bonds with their team rather than just a work relationship or an intellectual relationship. They know never to cross the line of being overly pompous because that is how you cause jealousy and hatred within the group.
3. They Have A Vision
Charismatic leaders always have a target, they know where they are heading and they know where they want to be. Clarity within the vision is what gets people to believe in and work hard for it. And it’s not just any vision, it is one that is incredibly compelling and is in line with your values, interests and desires.
Your passion for this vision should be so intense that other people will fall in love with it. A powerful and current vision – one that really connects with your deepest passions and triggers your highest potential – it should help you to know why you’re doing what you’re doing, regardless of what’s going on outside of yourself or the challenges presented to you at any given time.
2. They Only Bring Positive Energy
You can sense a charismatic person as soon as they walk into the room. They just have something about them and possess a certain type of energy that many lack. They bring light in and have the whole room interested in what they have to say -- because of their charisma they can entertain anyone and get along with whomever they choose to.
This is a quality that is essential and gets people behind you. Everyone is drawn to a strong and passionate individual. This strength and passion cultivates a cult of personality that creates an admiration and an ideal to aspire to. It’s the so-called ideal of ego.
1. They Inspire Others
As the good old saying goes: it’s not what you do, it’s why you do it. Charismatic people inspire action within others. They make others believe in what they are doing to inspire them to help them achieve their goals. They make them believe in their dreams, goals and a greater purpose. On top of all that, they make everyone around them feel special and a greater part of the cause rather than just a pedestrian employee.
Preston Waters | Elite.
