7 Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders
Charismatic leaders are easily distinguishable from the crowd. They exude confidence, are persuasive and create hope in others. They motivate and get the best out of their followers and they earnestly believe in what they preach. They aren’t selfish, have a vision and know how it should be pursued for the large good of the people.
They demonstrate a style and eloquence that inspire others to perform better. If you examine the lives of charismatic leaders and how they performed, you’ll find some common characteristics.
Here are 7 characteristics of Charismatic Leaders
1. Listen to Others
Charismatic leaders listen intently to what is being said and don’t get distracted by anything else. Good listeners are better able to respond because they understand what is being spoken and respond rather than reply for the sake of replying. They are comfortable in one-to-one conversations or addressing a group or making a public speech.
2. Speak with Clarity
Great leaders exude confidence in their speech and avoid ambiguities or make false promises. They practice beforehand what they want to say or get their speech prepared by experts so that they are not caught making a false statement on an issue. They don’t make contradictory statements that can confuse listeners. If in doubt, they don’t bring that issue at all.
3. Encourage and Praise Others
You need to praise others for achieving or doing a job well. Encouragement makes your team perform better and helps you bring out the best talent. However, make sure your compliment is genuine and they deserve it. This spreads happiness and raises productivity of the team.
4. Being Humble
Charismatic leaders don’t put on airs and are aware of their strengths and shortcomings. They show humility before masters and are ever willing to get advice and respect people who are masters in their chosen fields. India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was humble enough to laugh on cartoons making fun of him. He told the cartoonist not to spare him on any occasion. He felt he should not be above criticism.
5. Remembering People and Names
You command more respect if you can remember people and names you come across in your daily life. Therefore, your team feels honored and important before you. It is an embarrassment to keep forgetting names or addressing someone wrongly.
6. Style Matters; But Maturity Matters More
Leaders need to look good in their postures and body language. But style without substance will not take you far. You will be noted for the depth of your knowledge, understanding of issues, the ability to be compassionate and display empathy where needed. It is, therefore, important to read, listen and understand more apart from using your life experiences to demonstrate maturity especially during crisis times.
7. Pay Attention to Body Language
As much as your spoken word will be assessed, your body language, mannerisms, posture will be closely evaluated by people at all times. When talking to people in person-to-person or while addressing a meeting, it is very important to maintain eye contact with people rather than looking at a distance, or at the ceiling. It helps build rapport and enables you to understand their response to what is being said. Upright shoulders, smile and appropriate hand or shoulder gestures can build a better rapport and demonstrate your confidence.
Charismatic leaders display multiple sets of talents, have high emotional intelligence, and treat everyone with kindness and love.
