Today I have a great guest post on building charisma by Sarah Williams. You can learn more about her at the end of the post.Write for us.
Charisma is one of those intangible qualities of a human being that you cannot exactly describe in words. In some ways, it is the X-factor that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary. Charisma is a virtue that accentuates and sheds light on every other virtue in a person. When you have charisma you become a charismatic man or woman. Charismatic people have always enjoyed the perk of being treated exceptionally by others in society.
The best way to highlight the importance of charisma is by putting forward the example of leaders. The most popular and endeared leaders in the community tend to be charismatic. Those without charisma are unable to amass as large a following as the ones who do. One of the reasons why people sing and dance to the tune of charismatic leaders is because they are known to be mesmerizing speakers. However, you cannot confine the concept of charisma to speech only. There is so much more to this deceptively powerful human characteristic.
If you are running low on charisma, then you may find yourself in a number of different complications. For instance, you may have all the credentials to get that lucrative promotion in your workplace, but without charisma, you are likely to be overtaken by your “less able” co-worker with greater charisma.
It’s kind of unfair, but that’s how life is. There is no reason to be flustered though. You can develop charisma quite easily if you set your mind to concentrate on the following 4 things.
1. Personalize Your Speech
As noted before, eloquent speech is a key trait among charismatic. You need to be able to speak in an appropriate, impressive and imposing manner. The easiest way to do that is by personalizing your speech. What you mean by personalization? In this case, it means to have your original touch in everything that you say, instead of using generic statements over and over again.
For example, when talking about the traffic congestion in your city with a co-worker, don’t state the obvious by saying, “The traffic condition is really bad”. Instead opt for more amusing words such as “This traffic makes me want to turn into Hulk and flip over all the cars”.
In the latter statement, you can observe the two secrets to fine speech. One is to create a visual imagery that makes it easier for people to enjoy your words. The second is the ability to relate to their feelings. When you say you want to flip over cars, you probably speak for a lot of people. When you are the one taking words right out of their mouth, they are more likely to become fond of talking with you.
2. Perfect Your Body Language
Beautiful words count for nothing unless you can complement it with striking body movements. The way you walk, the way you sit, the way you turn and the hand gestures you make all have a big part to play in determining how charismatic you are. Be confident with every stride, every nod of the hand and every move of the finger. Confidence is key to charisma.
When you are speaking, regardless of whether the audience is one individual or a huge crowd, be sure to move your hands according to your speech. This makes it much easier to grab the attention of the people that you are talking. Moreover, it gives off the impression that you know exactly what you are saying and you have immense interest in sharing your thoughts with them.
3. Work on Your Facial Expressions
Got your speech and body language right, now what? Well talking and moving smoothly will not have much relevance unless you exude the appropriate facial expressions. The last thing you want to have is a dull face that speaks blanks. You need to know exactly when to crack a smile, when to pull off a smirk, when to narrow your eyes, when to widen them, when to have a frown and when to bite your lips (No need to tell you the last one).
The point is, people read your face before they listen to your words or notice your hand gestures. Let your face do the talking for you. Sometimes a facial expression is all you need to convince a person that you are up for the task. The simplest and easiest facial expression that oozes with charisma is the perfectly timed wink. You may want to practice that.
4. Adapt and Evolve
Just because your boss found something amusing, does not necessarily mean that your friends will. You can’t play the same cards everywhere. Diversity in character, speech and expressions is what makes a person truly charismatic. Adapt to the environment that you are in, act accordingly and let your character evolve. Don’t stick with the same expressions, catchphrases, jokes and pick up lines. That will turn your personality into a rotting abomination.
One of the best ways of evolving is by picking up witty and comical character traits from interesting people. When you find such people, spend a good amount of time conversing with them. You will eventually be able to pull off their brilliant gimmick.
Transforming yourself from a charisma vacuum to a charisma fountain is not the easiest job in the world by any stretch of the imagination. It does require a good deal of thinking and a great amount of effort. However, if you stick to the 4 aforementioned ways, life will be much easier.
About the Author:
Sarah Williams is a lifestyle blogger who specializes in self-development advice. Her mission is to help busy men and women of all ages create stronger, body and mind, and find true fulfillment from social interactions. She shares her thoughts on Wingman Magazine.