What does charisma mean and how to become a charismatic person

Updated July 21, 2021 938 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Surely you have come across people who have some kind of magical appeal.

And we are not talking about sexual attractiveness, but rather about charm.

Such a person wins all your attention, it is interesting to interact with him, it is interesting to listen to him, you want to trust and follow him to the ends of the earth. They say about such people - a charismatic person.

What is charisma? Let's figure it out.

Charismatic people are not born, they are made that way.

If the above qualities are not inherent to you, then it is never too late to start working on yourself. No one is born great or famous right away, but a person’s resources allow him to achieve a lot in life, the main thing is to want it. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He wasn’t born with 57 cm biceps! Everything we see today is the result of working on ourselves and exhausting training. Yes, this is physical strength. But along with it, mental flexibility and thinking develop. You can train everything, including charisma.

Remember also Winston Churchill. As a child, he had very poor health and studied poorly, so his parents decided to send their son to an army class. And what happened in the end? He graduated from this class as one of 12 students, began self-education, and became a great speaker, writer, journalist, influential political figure, winner of many awards, and prime minister. This suggests that anyone can become charismatic. How to work on yourself? What do we have to do? How to become a charismatic man? Let's consider several methods.

Influence on art

The most famous work of art dedicated to beautiful, charismatic women is, of course, the bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. Its unsurpassed beauty has become a source of inspiration for artists and sculptors of all eras. Queen Tamara is another symbol of the “golden” age and prosperity of Georgia. She was beautiful and distinguished by wisdom. Poets and artists praised her talents.

Queen Tamara

With the advent of cinema, there are more opportunities not only to describe in words or paint the stories of great women, but also to try to visually show them. Amazing stories from the lives of charismatic women can be seen in films. Half of them are devoted to the life and work of real personalities. For example, −

• “La Vie En Rose” - about Edith Piaf;
• “Frida” - about the outstanding Mexican artist Frida Kahlo;
• “Princess of Monaco” is about the “Queen of Hollywood” Grace Kelly, who gave up her film career to support her beloved man during the years of his rise to power;
• “Evita” is about Eva Duarte, who became the wife of the Argentine president, and then the most influential woman in the country;
• "The Iron Lady" is about British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

These films are based on real facts and can tell you how to learn to be a truly great woman. What to pay attention to if you want to develop charismatic abilities. This is possible even if such qualities are not inherent in a person at the genetic level. As they say, work and labor will grind everything down.

With this I say goodbye to you, my dear readers. I am always interested in your opinion on the issues I raise. Therefore, subscribe to the blog, write your comments, join the discussion and offer your vision of the topics of my articles. Goodbye and see you again!

You don't have to be successful

By the way, you don’t have to be rich and successful to have charisma. The fact is that you are not born with this quality, it can be developed. Of course, there are people with innate charisma. However, very often its influence on others is short-lived. Therefore, one must always practice and develop in this regard.

Those who were born and lived as an inconspicuous gray mouse do not need to despair and should at least try to obtain this “great power”. True, for this you need to make enormous efforts and completely change your previous life. First of all, you need to decide on this. And this is very difficult, since there is a daily, perhaps lasting several years, character strengthening. This means acquiring new healthy habits and completely abandoning old, harmful ones. And once you have already started, you must under no circumstances loosen your grip and stop, otherwise everything will go to waste. And most importantly, there must be unshakable faith in yourself. And then the results of your work will undoubtedly exceed all expectations.

Origin of the term

The word χάρισμα was used in ancient Greek mythology to denote the ability to attract attention to oneself. Charites were the name of the ancient Greek goddesses of beauty, grace and elegance. In Christianity it means “gift of God”

In Church Slavonic and Russian translations of New Testament and other texts it is usually conveyed by the word “grace”; in English it is “grace”.

In Christianity it means “gift of God.” In Church Slavonic and Russian translations of New Testament and other texts it is usually conveyed by the word “grace”; in English it is “grace”.

In Catholic theology, it was used in the sense of “an exclusively spiritual property bestowed by God on someone for the good of the church.”

How to develop charisma

Special abilities that are not available to other people are given from birth, but there is an opinion that if desired, you can develop them in yourself, the main thing is to understand how it works. Those who want to know how to become a charismatic person need to develop the following qualities:

1. Independence. Always and in everything rely only on yourself, take responsibility for your life.
2. Memorable appearance. It is not at all necessary to get a tattoo on your entire back or dye your hair green for charisma to appear, but some special “zest” should always be present.
3. Optimism. You need to see only the good in everything and believe in the best.
4. Calmness and endurance, self-confidence. Personalities with charisma are like that.
5. You must be able to control your emotions and actions.
6. Respect for yourself and others, which is inherent in charismatic individuals.
7. Kindness, interest in others.
8. Oratory is another strong point of leaders with charisma.
9. The ability to listen and negotiate is one of the main personality qualities.

This is the secret of charisma. It must be remembered that, according to Olivia Fox Cabane, who is an expert in this field and even wrote a book about it, it is necessary to sincerely express warmth and interest in the interlocutor. If you want to know how to become charismatic, you need to have a strong desire and inner benevolence, and the main obstacle to the goal will be dissatisfaction, self-criticism, uncertainty, physical and mental discomfort. The new ability will help both in work and personal life.

Charisma development - exercises

1. You can build a new ideal image if you draw a full-length picture of a person with your eyes closed, thinking through his facial expressions, gestures and gaze, voice intonation and other qualities that attract, fascinate and arouse sympathy. Every little thing matters, every detail of the image of a person with charisma. Having opened your eyes, you can notice that the fictitious image pops up in the imagination involuntarily, but the purpose of this exercise is a detailed analysis, which involves identifying the 10 most significant qualities of the created individual.
2. The development of charisma involves setting a program for luck and success. You need to relax, close your eyes and start thinking about your goal, how to achieve it and how your quality of life will change after that. You can enhance the effectiveness of this exercise if you imagine all the people for whom this achievement of the goal will also benefit.

Appearance

The concept of “charismatic appearance” does not have a clear definition.

In a broad sense, it represents a certain appearance of a person that attracts the attention of others and evokes positive emotions.

Not necessarily, the appearance should be bright.

There are many examples in history of charismatic people who did not try to attract attention with clothes, hairstyles or other nuances. For example, Steve Jobs often wore black turtlenecks, which became his signature signature.

Charismatic appearance includes:

• individual style,
• presence of a recognizable accessory,
• a combination of external originality and internal charisma.

Where to begin

We have already decided what qualities a charismatic person has. What about how to develop them? The books “Charisma. How to Influence, Convince and Inspire” by Kabein Fox and “Charisma of a Leader” by Radislav Gandapas.

Some have innate charisma, and some acquire it through self-improvement. If you are reading this article, you are probably the second type. You need not only the signs of a charismatic person, but also information on how to become one. My article, Leader Charisma and Potential Development, will help you deepen your knowledge on this topic.

To help develop charisma in yourself:

Feeling. In simple words, when communicating with people, you need to record all their gestures, facial expressions and intonation, even implicit pauses or accelerations. By understanding what is meaningful to a person, you can understand how to win them over. Oratory courses. You can go to a professional, or you can limit yourself to your own performances and speeches. Successes and mistakes

It is important not to be afraid of mistakes, to be able to accept your defeats, but to always strive for victory. The more knowledge and skills you have, the more confident you will feel.

A person who can be called charismatic can be seen from afar. He always has something to say. And while doing this, he enjoys every minute, every surprised, delighted or dissatisfied exclamation. Time freezes next to him and you want to put everything aside.

Signs of charisma

You can understand whether a person has innate charisma already in childhood. In games he is always the leader, in the classroom he is a recognized leader, in the yard he is the soul of the yard company. What are the characteristics of such leaders?

Signs

1. Having individuality. This applies to character, abilities, temperament, and sometimes to hobbies and habits. If a person comes across as exceptional, in most cases he is charismatic, at least to the group of people in which he occupies a leadership position. He strives in every possible way to comply with what is expected of him, thereby maintaining his status.
2. Leadership qualities, regardless of whether a person leads one class or an entire nation. The main thing is the willingness to take responsibility and make decisions that will support the team.
3. Self-confidence, i.e. belief that the goal will be achieved. Even in the event of failure, a charismatic, self-confident leader does not give up, but learns lessons and looks for other ways to achieve the goal.
4. Oratory data. Competent, figurative, emotional speech influences the mental and emotional aspects of those to whom it is addressed, evoking the feelings and perception of what is said required by the speaker. Let us remember Hitler and his pathetic and brilliant speeches, which convinced the whole nation of its exclusivity.
5. Characteristic speech that carries a “zest” that is unique only to this person. An example is Lenin's burr, Churchill's stuttering, or the deliberately slow speech of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
6. Recognizable appearance. It is not necessary to have external attractiveness, the main thing is to find your characteristic external image and stick to it. Such originality makes a person stand out from the crowd and makes him recognizable.

Reviews and comments

Leave your reviews and comments below.

We also recommend reading:

• Storytelling
• How to study history
• Ways to increase inner strength
• How to create your own personality chart
• RAPID Decision Framework
• Preparing and delivering a speech
• Qualities of a Great Leader
• How to develop charisma
• Ways to develop charisma
• Secrets of charisma during public speaking (part 2)
• Wise lessons from Lee Kuan Yew

Keywords:_C1059, _D1030, _D1052, 1Communication

What is charisma

“Charisma” is a term that has no unambiguous interpretation. In ancient Greece, this was the name given to the goddesses of grace and beauty. In Christianity, charisma is a special gift that God bestows on a person. It is necessary to fulfill your life’s purpose, helps strengthen your own capabilities, leadership qualities and allows you to subordinate them to one goal.

Certain areas of Protestantism interpret charisma as a gift of the Holy Spirit, which consists of:

• ability to use different languages;
• possession of special knowledge and wisdom;
• the ability to heal and perform miracles.

At one time, researcher Max Weber described charisma as a quality that allows one to be assessed as gifted with supernatural abilities, specific properties that are inaccessible to ordinary people.

A charismatic person is able to convince people, captivate them with his ideas and lead them, even if they have to sacrifice a lot. Thus, charisma is understood as the effect that a person is capable of producing on a certain audience.

Today, charisma is understood as a set of qualities that allow you to influence other people. Among them:

A special image.

A charismatic person stands out in appearance from other people.

His unusual appearance is memorable, attracts attention and makes people talk about themselves. For example, Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler had an unusual appearance and figure

Personality properties.

Charismatic people know how to take responsibility and are able to overcome their own fears.

If it is common for an ordinary person to formulate egoistic desires to receive or take something, then a charismatic person is obsessed with the desire to give something to the world, to change it. Neither Jesus, nor Muhammad, nor Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King were stopped by difficulties. They knew for sure that their mission was to change the world.

Specific manner of communication.

A person with charisma knows how to find a common language with other people. He may not be a perfect speaker, but he is capable of delivering his message to the audience. For example, Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill had speech problems. They stuttered and lisped. Dale Carnegie had a nasal voice, and Abraham Lincoln had a voice that was too high. But this did not prevent the people listed from becoming great speakers and going down in history.

A charismatic person influences emotions. After his speech, it is difficult to remember what exactly he said, but his words sink into the soul and make you dream.

Photo: blog.globalclub.events

A special myth that distinguishes a charismatic person from others.

Among the components of this myth is a mystery associated with personality, the presence of a special mission, a vision of the world, and specific psychological properties that allow one to overcome life’s difficulties.

It is believed that a charismatic person has developed emotional intelligence. He knows how to understand the emotional mood of his interlocutor and build relationships based on it.

A charismatic person is expected to be able to manage and understand their own emotions. He is proactive, that is, he is able to control his reaction to circumstances, and not be their hostage. He maintains control in any situation.

A charismatic person is excellent at expressing his thoughts both with the help of emotions and with the help of correctly chosen words that are understandable to the audience.

Finally, a charismatic person has a high degree of social sensitivity. He is able to feel the interlocutor or audience and be on the same wavelength with them. For example, according to stories, Napoleon personally knew the name of each of his soldiers. During the inspection, he could stop, call him by name and ask about his well-being or family.

A charismatic person perceives the world through stories about self-improvement, achievements, a revolution in worldview and overcoming oneself. He likes to try on such stories for himself, to feel like the hero of such stories.

A leader with charisma is not embarrassed to admit his incompetence in anything and is able to rely on the opinion of professionals. Thus, Margaret Thatcher, according to the recollections of those close to her, after the start of the Falklands crisis of 1982, invited the military to dinner and asked them to tell them how to wage war. After listening to advice, she sent British soldiers on cruise ships to the other side of the world and won the confrontation with Argentina. Steve Jobs and Henry Ford weren't shy about asking their best engineers "stupid" questions to figure out how to improve production.

Photo: science.howstuffworks.com

Kinds

What is charisma? There are several types of charisma.

On the one hand, this character trait can be congenital or acquired, but the main classification is carried out according to other characteristics.

The term “charisma” is complemented by a specific trait of a person, which becomes the reason for his recognition and the object of love of the public. This could be kindness, oratory, appearance, etc.

Types of charisma:

• charisma of authority (society takes into account a person’s opinion and believes that he is the one who is able to make the right decision or give the necessary advice);
• charisma of a visionary (such a person is able to inspire society, make it believe in specific facts);
• focus charisma (this type of charisma manifests itself in the form of a person’s ability to concentrate maximum attention on his person);
• charisma of kindness (a person is associated in society with a source of goodness and warmth).

Charismatic qualities

Sight. Many psychologists are inclined to think that the main secret of charisma lies in the gaze. A charismatic person is characterized by a direct, very confident and even slightly arrogant look. It’s as if he sees right through you, his gaze hypnotizes and forces you to obey. For many, this quality is innate, but you can try and develop it in yourself. The simplest exercise is to focus your gaze on one point for a long time, without looking up or blinking: this way you can gradually give your gaze that same magnetism and hypnotizing effect characteristic of a charismatic person.

External data. They are also an important factor for charisma, but not critical. On the contrary, the most famous charismatic people did not have outstanding appearance, but this served them as an additional incentive for self-development: they strived more strongly to achieve excellence in something else, which they succeeded in. However, a lot also depends on appearance, so it is also worth working on it where it is possible and necessary: ​​exercise, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle will be your good helpers in this matter.

Style. The style of a charismatic person is always individual. He in no way follows fashion and does not strive to dress and look like everyone else. This is because he is extremely confident in himself and is absolutely independent of the opinions of the majority. Simplicity, elegance, zest, as well as masculinity (for men) and femininity (for women) - these are the key concepts that can characterize the style of a charismatic person.

Separately, I want to dwell on the highlight. This is precisely a certain moment that gives a person individuality and noticeably sets him apart from the crowd; this is the element of style with which a charismatic person is immediately associated. Stalin's pipe, Hitler's mustache, Che Guevara's beret, Yulia Timoshenko's braid and even Sergei Mavrodi's tracksuit - these are examples of those very “highlights” characteristic of the style of charismatic people.

Therefore, if you want to become charismatic, develop charisma in yourself, you need to give up fashionable and provocative images (let’s leave them for show business) and find some zest for yourself. And of course, do not depend at all on the opinions of others about your style.

Character traits. One of the most important features of any charismatic person is certain character traits that can and should be developed in oneself. In particular, these are well-developed strong-willed qualities, determination, ambition, constant work on oneself, a positive attitude and, of course, strong self-confidence. A charismatic person never rests on his laurels: he is always on the move, always moving forward, even if he fails. It is almost impossible to stop a strong charismatic (remember the examples of military leaders).

Oratory. Most charismatic people were or are outstanding speakers. Therefore, oratory and public speaking skills should be considered among the qualities that allow a person to develop charisma. Charismatic people are always leaders, but how can you be a leader without being able to speak competently, beautifully and convincingly? It's hard to imagine. If you want to become charismatic, you should think about developing this skill.

Mysteriousness. And one more very important quality that unites charismatic people is the presence of certain riddles or secrets associated with them. A charismatic person, even if he is public, never reveals all his secrets; many aspects associated with his life and activities remain a secret, and this secret serves as an additional quality that attracts him.

Sometimes various rumors and myths were even deliberately spread around charismatic personalities to enhance their charisma.

I hope I was able to form a clearer idea of ​​what charisma is, who can be considered a charismatic person, what qualities can and should be inherent in him

Once again I want to emphasize that charisma is a very important assistant on the path to success, so it makes sense to develop it in yourself: it is easier for a charismatic person to go through life

Public speaking

Speaking in public, a charismatic personality literally pours out his own emotions.
All his judgments, as a rule, are based on the subjectivity of the narrator himself. The enthusiasm with which the charismatic speaker talks can be the envy of almost every living person. The speaker conveys all statements, statements and calls for active action in the color of his personal relationships to everything. Most often, the format of such speeches is preaching. Demonstration of thought leadership - in the tempo of the voice and demeanor during the speech. Usually speech is conducted quietly and rather slowly, movements are slowed down or minimized.

All this is done with one goal - to attract the audience’s attention to one’s own figure. Long pauses are also relevant.

Top charismatic people

Despite the fact that almost every charismatic person has extremely strong leadership qualities, the vector of their influence is quite diverse. Some are capable of masterfully organizing the residents of a house for a cleanup day, while others are able to manage entire nations. One is able to direct his energy in a creative direction, the other - in a destructive one.

That is why among the most outstanding personalities there are characters who are extremely contradictory in their essence. Depending on the type of activity, I will give examples of such outstanding charismatic persons:

From the acting environment:

1. Marlon Brando.
2. Adriano Celentano.
3. Takeshi Kitano.
4. Clint Eastwood.
5. Mickey Rourke.
6. Antonio Banderas.
7. Sylvester Stallone.
8. Bruce Willis.
9. Jim carrey.
10. Vincent Cassel.

In the political sphere:

1. Mahatma Gandhi.
2. Fidel Castro.
3. Joseph Stalin.
4. Martin Luther King.
5. Nelson Mandela.
6. Winston Churchill.
7. Franklin Roosevelt.
8. John Kennedy.
9. Mikhail Gorbachev.
10. Ronald Reagan.

Among women, the most charismatic are rightfully considered:

1. Uma Thurman.
2. Madonna.
3. Meryl Streep.
4. Lady Gaga.
5. Coco Chanel.
6. Indira Gandhi.
7. Margaret Thatcher.
8. Valentina Tereshkova.
9. Amelia Earhart.
10. Maria Skłodowska-Curie.

What person would refuse to become the center of attention of those around him, looking at him in awe and greedily catching every word? But not everyone is endowed with such a gift.

Nevertheless, even if you do not feel charismatic in yourself, with proper work on yourself and a fair amount of perseverance, you can achieve significant progress by cultivating in yourself those qualities that most of us lack.

It is not enough to simply ask rhetorically how to become one of those who are able to lead others; it is necessary to strictly follow the intended goal, following a number of rules:

Try to look at the surrounding reality through a positive prism, get rid of cynicism. Control your intonation, let your words be filled with confidence

Show attention to your interlocutor. Try to be as cool-blooded as possible in any situation

Develop in yourself such a quality as patience. Get rid of stereotypes and prejudices, be open to everything new. Develop a sense of tact in yourself. Don't put anything off for the future. Do everything right here and now. Do good deeds. They not only boomerang back, but also increase self-esteem. Be sincere - this is a rare but extremely valuable quality. Develop yourself all the time and never stop working on yourself. Set realistic, achievable, and most importantly, specific goals.

Specifically, men can be advised to develop charisma by maintaining their physical condition, learning to find points of interaction with any interlocutors, training determination and not forgetting about a sense of humor.

The fair half is recommended to take care of their appearance, train charm and charisma, get rid of the love of criticism and gossip, as well as the desire to find inner harmony and love. Female charisma not only helps in communicating with the male sex, but also stimulates career growth, and also turns every girl into a unique one.

It often happens that many, in a blind desire to possess the gift of charisma, do not ultimately receive the desired happiness or joy. Indeed, in the framework of this reckless pursuit of self-improvement, the simple truth is forgotten that even those with innate charisma are just as ordinary people, with their own shortcomings, problems and experiences.

The presence of charisma in itself does not make a person happy, it just helps to walk through life with an easier step. In addition, if innate properties are perceived by a person with a charismatic disposition as something natural and taken for granted, then a person who breaks his own true “I” over the knee can be kept in subconscious stress by the constant need to play a role that is far from characteristic of him.

(No ratings yet)

Irina Yarovikova / author of the article

How does innate charisma differ from acquired charisma?

An innate quality is considered to be a property that a person demonstrates from early childhood. Those people who, due to their professional activities, are faced with a large number of very tiny children, notice that it is impossible to take your eyes off some babies. Of course, there can be no talk of any set of non-verbal methods of behavior in such a situation.

However, many children who did not stand out in infancy later begin to attract attention and evoke tenderness and admiration. As a rule, those behavioral features that caused delight among others are fixed in the subconscious and become reflexive.

This happens especially often with little girls, who then grow into adult women and continue to enjoy everyone's attention, just as in early childhood. Thus, to put it as simply as possible, a charismatic woman is a girl who successfully smiled or otherwise touched adults

That is, every child can grow up with charisma, you just need to give him confidence in his own irresistibility. For example, the most charismatic women never admit the possibility that they might leave someone indifferent. These ladies don’t fight such thoughts, don’t drive them away, they simply don’t think like that. The possibility of remaining unnoticed does not initially appear in the mind of a woman with charisma. If you tell a lady who has this quality that some people are not noticed in public places, she will be very surprised.

Acquired charisma, cultivated in oneself already in adulthood, is the result of long and extremely difficult work on oneself. This work is not about controlling weight or teaching yourself to be neat, but about changing your type of thinking, breaking conditioned reflexes and stereotypes.

Acquired charisma differs from innate charisma in that the woman who possesses it, as well as the man, have a pronounced trait, a feature, with the help of which they become the epicenter of attention. This could be a sense of humor or quick reaction, the way of holding a cup or quiet, insinuating speech, the ability to play musical instruments or something else. In any case, if you have acquired charisma, you can always list the qualities that distinguish its owner from other people.

Historical figures

There are not many women who influenced the course of historical events. But it is enough to recall the reign of the great Cleopatra, under which Egypt acquired the status of one of the most developed countries in the world. Remember Princess Olga, who led Kievan Rus after the death of her husband, Prince Igor. Yes, she took revenge on the Drevlyans, four times and very harshly, but at the same time she was canonized. During the years of her reign, she did many useful things for the development and formation of the state. For example, it was she who began the construction of stone buildings in Rus'. Catherine the Great is another example of a bright, charismatic personality capable of not only ruling an empire, but also expanding its borders.

Catherine II

Today, one of the most charismatic women in the world is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. She ascended the throne in 1952 after the death of her father. From a young age, she appeared in public and did her best to support the nation in any endeavor. She first performed on radio at the age of 13. There was a war going on, but the girl decided that her words addressed to disadvantaged and orphaned children would give them strength to withstand all troubles. When she grew up, she served in the army, qualifying as an ambulance driver and auto mechanic. At her coronation, she took an oath to serve the British Empire. The Queen honorably fulfills this promise to this day, despite her advanced age.

Elizabeth II