The 5-Minute Manager - How to develop Charisma

Charisma was once believed to be an innate personality trait, a gift that certain individuals possess that gives them the capacity to do extraordinary things. The thinking was that it could not be learned, you either have it, or you don’t.

However, this is not true. When a high-performance leader displays gusto and alacrity, is curious and always upbeat, this makes them charismatic. Doing these four things puts forward a positive attitude which infects team members thinking and feelings and can extend to the whole workplace. By communicating high expectations to team members and exhibiting confidence in their abilities to meet the expectations, this in turn increases your charisma.

In workplaces where the manager has charisma, there is energy, a vibe, electricity, or vibrations in the air.

Being viewed as charismatic is a powerful management tool; it encourages team members to trust in your ideology and your beliefs. It brings about unquestioning acceptance and affection of you as a leader; it promotes team member obedience and emotional involvement with your goals helping to create a shared vision of the future.

You can become charismatic by:

·      Demonstrating gusto (showing great energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment when taking part in an activity)

·      Demonstrating alacrity (doing an activity with speed and eagerness).

·      Being curious.

·      Being positive and upbeat.

·      Communicating high expectations.

·      Showing confidence in team members’ abilities.

·      Using active listening.

·      Sparingly giving praise.

·      Taking responsibility for when things go wrong.

·      Providing constructive criticism to team members.

·      Your whiteboard is always covered in something new.

·      You can test if your charisma is working by:

o   Team members feel energised, motivated, feel good after speaking with or just being near you.

o   Your speech or presence creates a sense of positivity in others.

o   A team member runs to your office.

Management and TeamsRussell FutcherCharisma