Why Charisma Matters to Achieve Greater Results
All of us share a passion for exceptional people. We like them, we love their work, we love their contributions, and most importantly we establish a natural connection with them. We want characters who transform, revolutionize, and who make a difference. They become our role models. They inspire us, and we trust them, but what makes those people and characters so unique. How you ever wonder how people such us Gandhi, Luther King, and Mandela managed to gain so much power and support that they peacefully changed the course of their countries.
Charisma is the symbolic influence that we have on people, and it is rooted in values and emotions. It represents our ability to connect with others and sway them. According to Bass (1998), Charismatic leaders are admired, respected, and trusted. People identify with them because they are willing to take risks and are consistent with their high standards of moral values. In other words, they successfully transmit their mission and persuade others to come on board. Three factors distinguish those kinds of leaders Burke (2017):
Charismatic leaders can motivate and inspire. We like to know why we are doing things. We feel encouraged by challenge and meaning, all of us want to leave a positive footprint behind us, and we like to be and feel part of great things. Managers who communicate clear expectations, show high commitment to reach goals, and cultivate a team spirit are more likely to boost their employees' performance because who does not feel encouraged to reach high results. For example, Steve Jobs had a passion for doing the right thing and for making it insanely perfect, and he drove people to do things they thought were impossible.
Charismatic leaders create intellectual stimulation. Some of the most successful companies such as Google, Facebook, and Pixar urge their employees to think outside the box, and people who work in those kinds of environments are committed to innovate and create no because they are forced to but because they feel part of something big. We like people that encourage us to develop new things, and that inspire us to be better persons. Humanity is even more idealistic than we believe. Therefore, we enjoy following people with a significant commitment to making this a better world.
Charismatic leaders show extreme consideration for individuals. One of the most important goals of any marketer is to develop products and services that create an emotional connection with buyers. Is not the slogan of Nike “Just do it.” We can become champions, and this company encourages us to grasp our goals no matter the obstacles. Thinking about individuals' emotions yield to lucrative results. Charismatic people care and pay close attention to others needs, and they recognize that every follower is different, unique, and that he or she plays a special role within the team.
In conclusion, Being charismatic is important, but so far it sounds like something that just exceptional people with a unique personality and virtue can afford. However, we can use some tools to improve our ability to connect with others. One of the most important techniques that we can use to communicate our ideas effectively is to frame them to charm others and to express the sentiments of the collective (Antonakis, 2015). In other words, we have to provide moral conviction, ambitious goals, and strong confidence to reach them. Our ideas must transmit our vision and passion for distinct outcomes, and we can use metaphors, stories, contrast, rhetorical questions, lists and repetitions to paint a picture in which everybody wants to be part. For example, think about Martin Luther King’s emblematic speech where he stars saying “I have a dream” (Sinek, 2009). With this simple phrase, he was able to call people’s attention because he conveyed why his idealistic goals were part of something big. Think about this: what sounds better, to tell your employees that they have to work hard because the vision is to become market leaders or to say to your employees that they are building products and offering services to change the market. Charismatic leaders are solid, they have a strong personality, and they show unlimited strength and passion.