DO YOU HAVE THE CHARISMA ?

Have you ever delivered a speech that inspire the audience, touched their hearts and move them to do something that they have not been doing for a long time ? If you have this experience, you may be a charismatic speaker. Back in May 2006, when I was in Dubai attending a convention, after I have delivered my keynote address, lots of leaders there come to me saying that the speech was visionary, goal-oriented with directions to achieve the organizational goals. They said that I was charismatic. Today, I would like to share about some of the elements of a charisma leader:-

What is Charismatic Leadership ?

Charismatic leadership is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others. It is a positive and compelling quality of a person, which creates a desire in many others to be led by him or her. Charismatic leaders frequently manage their impressions to cultivate relationships with group members. When I was working with an European multi national corporations, the chairman of the company, Wolfgang Wilmsen was such a great leader. He inspired the 2000 employees with his positive personal relationship with all the 2000 staff in the company.

Some of the Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders

Visionary

Charismatic leaders are visionary because they offer an exciting image of where the organization is headed and how to get there. A vision is more than a forecast, it describes an ideal version of the future of an entire organization or an organizational unit.

Communication Skills

They have masterful communication skills. To inspire people, the charismatic leaders uses colorful language and exciting metaphors and analogies.

Charismatic leaders communicate their visions, goals, and directives in a colorful, imaginative, and expressiveness manner. They communicate openly with team members create a comfortable communication climate. To set agendas that represent the interests of their constituents, charismatic leaders regularly solicit constituents’ viewpoints on critical issues. They encourage two-way communication with team members while still promoting a sense of confidence. They carefully choose the language to suit their team members.


Trust

Another key characteristics is the ability to inspire trust. Constituents believe so strongly in the integrity of charismatic leaders that they will rush their careers to pursue the chief’s vision. Charismatic leaders are able to make group members feel capable. One of the technique is to help team members feel more capable is to enable them to achieve success on relatively easy projects. The leaders then praises the team members and gives them more demanding assignments.


High Energy

An high energy and action orientation characterizes charismatic leaders. Like entrepreneurs, must charismatic leaders are energetic and serve as role models for getting things done on time.

Emotional Expressiveness

Charismatic leaders are able to express emotionally with warmth. A bank executive claims that much of the charisma people attribute to her can be explained simply: “ I am up front about expressing positive feelings. I praise people. I hug them, and I cheer if necessary. I also express my negative feelings, but to a lesser extend.” Nonverbal emotional expressiveness, such as warm gestures and frequent touching of group members, is also characteristic of charismatic leaders.


Romanticise risk

They enjoy risk so much that they feel empty in its absence. As great opportunists, charismatic people yearn to accomplish activities others have never done before. Rick taking adds to a person’s charisma because others admire such courage. Richard Branson, the colorful chairman of the Virgin Group, has used this to good effect. In addition to treasuring risk, charismatic leaders use unconventional strategies to achieve success. They inspires others by formulating unusual strategies to achieve important goals. Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop travels around the world visiting villages, seeking natural beauty products that do not harm the environment or animals in the manufacturing process.



Conclusion

Charismatic leaders work deliberately at cultivating the relationship with group members through impression management. They take steps to create a favourable, successful impression. Charismatic leaders recognize that the perceptions of constituents determine whether they function as charismatics.

They pursue a set of images – trustworthy, credible, morally worthy, innovative, esteemed and powerful. Constructing and maintaining these images in the minds of followers is essential for the leader’s charismatic image.

When you are willing to learn, you can be a charismatic leader one day.