What is charisma? The million dollar question

What is charisma? The definition could be "Charisma is a strong personal appeal that a person exerts on other people, which is perceived as having a certain charisma. Charismatic personalities can move popular crowds, for better or worse".

Some questions about charisma are: is charisma important? Should a leader always have charisma? And what are the consequences of not having charisma? Can you “learn” charisma?

A great story about charisma can be found in the book "From good to Great" by Jim Collins. In his book, Jim describes the role of Sir Winston Churchill during World War II. Everyone knows the typical pictures of this English statesman with his hat and cigar in his mouth. Churchill was known for his charismatic, dominant leadership style.

Can you “learn” charisma?

Jim Collins describes in his book that Churchill did not always got the important information he needed to initiate a successful plan of attack against the Germans during World War three. In particular, England's invation in Normandy played an important role. Churchill was about to make literally life-changing decisions and as a result win the war against the Germans. However, he lacked important key information that he did not get from his immediate team (team 1) because this team was often intimidated by his charisma. Churchill then opted for a 2nd team next to his existing team. A bold and smart move so it later turned out to be. This 2nd team was hugely encouraged to give unvarnished criticism and candid feedback to Churchill.

The positive lesson to draw from Jim Collins' book is that (immature) charismatic leaders (often unconsciously) enjoy feeding their ego with team members who admire them and always chime in without offering a critical note or rebuttal. We call this group "yes-men". Yes-men are often insecure about their own leadership style and identity. This is mostly because they never mature, charismatic leadership around them, that actually encourages to give daring comments and to express an opinion opposite their leader!

In the example of Sir Winston Churchill, based on the right data given by unimpressed team members, he was able to decide on a successful strategy with which he eventually beat the Germans. We are still immensely grateful that Britain defeated the Germans, ending a terrible war but also grateful with this unknown team.

Today, there are examples of charismatic leaders in our world having a positive impact in the market, or in organizations, teams and individuals. Think of Steve Jobs, Johan Cruijff, Sir Richard Branson etc. Why is this? Is it the way they communicate? The way of dressing? Being known on social media platforms? Has it to do with money? Power or influence? Wonderful questions and some of which we cannot immediately answer.

I dare say that charisma is in fact nothing but a shell over the person's true identity. Charisma in my view is often a mask anyway! People really connect with a leader because of the intrinsic aspect of a leader. This happens unconsciously and consciously. Charisma is important but not a decisive factor in being successful within a company, non-profit, organization or in Government.

Think of Steve Jobs, Johan Cruijff, Sir Richard Branson etc.

For example. I lived in Singapore for two years during which I interacted with many Asian leaders. In general, Asian leaders are not charismatic at all. Rather, they are quiet and move many a time in the background. Yet they are successful because of their commitment to expertise Asian leaders exhibit. So, also culture plays a huge role when it comes to charismatic leadership. In the western world, we are much more used to outwardly presenting the strongest possible image. This is then often seen as charisma.

My conclusion is that charisma is recognizable in the world we live in but it is not important for achieving goals or being successful or attractive.

How about my Christian faith and zooming in on charisma? Was Jesus a charismatic leader? Was Jesus as a spiritual leader who had to put on a mask to create a certain movement or to put down a certain conviction? My answer is: absolutely not! Jesus did not need a mask but posed himself as a servant to people. Jesus was always serving. However Jesus was clear in his statements and in his actions. Jesus knew who He was and from whom He got His identity. That is God, His father. Jesus is the son of God. This knowing and believing determined His Power and conviction and walk on the earth. The Bible says that when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. God the Father said during this the following: "This is my beloved son. In him I am well pleased". Matthew 3:17.

My conclusion is that charisma is recognizable in the world we live in but it is not important for achieving goals or being successful or attractive. Instead, it was Jesus' service and love for people that made him attractive. And this is still true today. So, all this has absolutely nothing to do with charisma. So, the question is that if you would like to be a charismatic leader, that you should ask yourself who you actually want to be and why you want to be charismatic? Are you doing it for yourself, or are you doing it for the other persons? If you are doing it for the other persons, then you are going to find out that charisma is not necessary to be successful, accepted and liked.