When you think about charismatic people, who comes to mind? What qualities do you think of first?
When I ask people these questions they usually bring up high profile executives and other public figures who are well known — and often people they view as comfortable in front of a crowd. Some qualities I often hear are outgoing, magnetic, influential, inspirational, fearless, and well liked.
The truth is that you don’t need to be fearless to be charismatic. And you don’t need to be an extrovert, or even outgoing, to have charisma.
When you look up the definition of the word on Dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster.com, you’ll see words like, “…special personal quality…” or “…a personal magic of leadership…”. That personal quality is what you need to find and cultivate to be able to be authentically charismatic.
What about you will make people want to follow you? How do you inspire and influence others in your own unique way? What gives you your own “special magnetic charm or appeal?”
Find it, develop it, and then create your own, authentic way to show it to others.
That’s when they’ll want to join your tribe. That’s when you’ll be authentically charismatic.
P.S. You can do it in a way that’s comfortable in the long run, even if looking at yourself in this way feels a bit uncomfortable at first. If you need help, let’s talk.