In difficult times, people always need someone who can create the right attitude and set the right path. They need a hero, only they have long existed only on the pages of fairy tales. In reality, their role is played by charismatic individuals, those who have firmly written their names in the history of mankind. What is charisma and can it be developed? Perhaps this issue is worth considering.
Charismatic people
Often you can encounter a situation when a stranger enters the room and immediately becomes the center of attention. People around him are not interested in how much money he has, nor his social status, even his appearance does not play a special role. People just want to be near such a person and imitate him in everything. These are truly charismatic people who can lead millions.
What is charisma? This is a kind of charm, adoring and trusting. Many doors are open to charisma owners, because this exceptional feature makes a person a born leader. Charisma is a person’s endowment with exceptional psycho-emotional qualities, with the help of which he can influence ordinary people. Answering the question of what charisma is, in simple words, we can say that this is the quality of a leader that allows you to lead. Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King - all of them were charismatic leaders who knew how to convince millions of followers, infect them with ideas and change the world. This is what charisma is and how it is useful to humans.
Non-native quality
For decades, sociologists and psychologists have studied what charisma is, and tried to determine the nature of this strange phenomenon. Some examined the genome, others consulted with astrologers, and some thought that it would be useful to dissect the tyrant’s brain. Ultimately, through joint efforts, scientists found that with respect to charismatic people, people feel not only adoration, but also envy, and even hatred. After all, it is unfair that someone has it, and someone is deprived of this unique ability.
If you explain in simple words what charisma is, you can formulate a definition like this: it is a gift of God, at least that is how the term is translated from Greek. That's just, contrary to the general opinion, universal appeal is not an innate quality. The society does not recognize its leaders from birth, but in the prime of their magnetism. People known to the world were not always charming and attractive.
Olivia Fox Cobain
Yale University lecturer Olivia Fox in her book Charisma. How to influence, persuade and inspire ”insisted on the following. To become attractive in the eyes of others, you need to look like a lover, hold on like a gorilla, and speak like a priest. That is, firstly, a person must maintain constant eye contact with others and pay attention to everything that happens around. In no case should you get lost in the labyrinth of your thoughts or look at the screen of your smartphone. It is necessary to demonstrate a complete presence, then people understand that they are listening and appreciated.
Secondly, it is necessary to demonstrate confidence, and even if something went wrong, it is better to pretend that everything is under control. And thirdly, speak in a calm, slow voice. The definition of charisma in psychology suggests that a person needs to create the impression that he has more capabilities and responsiveness than the rest.
Charisma Is Not Intellect
In 2015, Australian scientists conducted a practical study, during which they found out that charismatic people do not necessarily have high intelligence. The experiment involved 417 people. They were asked 30 simple questions of various subjects. The result showed that it was the reaction rate that turned out to be preferable, rather than the level of intelligence. If a person in a short time gave more answers, then he seemed more charming, cheerful and quick-witted.
Female and male charisma
The main qualities of charisma are not the same for men and women, since different behaviors are expected from them. So what is charisma in a man? We can say that this is a symbiosis of qualities such as presence, strength and warmth that generate powerful personal magnetism. To become charismatic, a man must:
- To be fully present at the conversation, but not to talk exclusively about your beloved, but to give the interlocutor the opportunity to feel their significance.
- Demonstrate confidence that he is able to influence the world around him.
- Be responsive, caring and responsive. Heat is the most difficult to fake, because it must be based on something more than selfish motives. A person should be content with his life, show real sympathy and sincere interest in others.
This is what charisma is in a man. The first and third qualities can be developed by girls, only their charisma is determined by slightly different criteria. Speaking about what is charisma in a girl, it is worth noting that this is a completely different model of behavior.
A charismatic girl should have the following qualities:
- Optimism.
- Unpredictability.
- Emotional intelligence (a girl should not only control her own emotions, but also cause them in others).
- Male beginning. No matter how strange it may sound, a woman who thinks like a man is much more interesting to representatives of the opposite sex.
Signs of Charisma
Summing up the above, we can say that charismatic leaders are people with:
- Emotional sensitivity. They know how not only to infect with their ideas, but subtly feel the mood of others.
- Emotional control. A charismatic leader knows how to control his emotions, he will never show irritation, disgust, etc.
- Ability to express thoughts. One who leads the crowd a priori should be a good speaker. It is necessary to influence the environment not only with emotions, but also with words.
- Social sensitivity. Charismatic leaders are always on the same wavelength with their environment.
- Self control. These people are graceful, always maintain their composure and can find contact with any segments of the population.
What is charisma and how to develop it?
So, we found out that charisma is a special charm that attracts others. It is based on a person’s ability to infect others with his emotions. But first you need to catch fire on their own. No one in the world is able to convey to another person something that he himself is not sure about. Therefore, in order to infect the environment with your emotions, you need to learn how to experience them. The first rule of charisma development: you must stop suppressing your feelings. If it’s joyful, laugh heartily, if it’s sad, worry for your own pleasure, do not make an indifferent face.
True, you don’t need to spill it all on the interlocutors, such behavior of popularity will definitely not add. So it’s better to learn to experience the entire emotional spectrum outside the company, and come to people cheerful and confident.
Sign language
People pay attention not only to words, but also to gestures. It is very important to take the correct posture during the conversation. Consciously, the interlocutor may not notice nervousness, but his subconscious will definitely notice this.
You need to take a more relaxed posture - this will give the subconscious signal that there is nothing to fear, and the person will feel more relaxed. Do not forget about the smile - easy and relaxed. During the conversation you can not slouch, fiddle with small objects in your hands and take closed poses.
Respect the interlocutor
People are always good to those who listen to them. Charismatic leaders are not always extroverts chatting nonstop. Even an introvert can gain the respect of others if he takes part in the conversation. That is, he needs to listen to the other person and hear him, as well as show interest. Then the interlocutor begins to feel his importance, which is extremely important for creating a good reputation.
It is not necessary to listen to the whole company, it is better to pay a little attention to each of its representatives.
Instead of an afterword
So what is charisma? The definition consists of many components. This is the ability to react quickly, make the right decisions, joke, know about everything in the world and much more. But for starters, you just need to learn to listen, talk calmly and accept yourself with all your shortcomings, showing only advantages in the circle of acquaintances, and also showing attention and a warm attitude to the interlocutor.