I was talking to a remarkable friend the other day, about a family-friend of hers.
“He’s just so nice – he’s like a father to me.” I asked her to tell me more.
“Well, he can be abrasive, entitled, and he’s very self-centred.”
She clearly held him in high esteem – and indeed, he is held in high esteem by many, being a hereditary Lord. But he sounded awful! I asked her to tell me his redeeming qualities.
“He’s funny, caring. And he’s very charismatic.”
Charismatic. What’s charisma when someone seems like terrible company to keep?
Charisma, the word, is derived from the Greek for “grace”, and is defined as “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others”. This doesn’t explain anything about why my friend’s friend was so… charismatic!
An alternative definition: that charisma is the act of taking qualities and making them vibrant. Those qualities do not have to be typically attractive, but by making them larger than life, they become magnetic.
Charismatic people aren’t just stoic leaders. They can be goofy, or abrasive. Making the most of the qualities that you possess makes charisma easily attainable.
So, what’s the takeaway? That highlighting your imperfections magically transforms you into a renowned beauty?
We can make the best out of all of our qualities and assets – the trick is lean into our differences and make them our selling points. Showing yourself off, warts and all. That’s the key to charisma.