How does one become a Charismatic Leader?

There are many types of leadership that we can utilise in today’s world. This is because different situations and different people call for different approaches. 

One type of leadership that is often seen as successful leadership is Charismatic Leadership. To understand how to become a charismatic leader we must first understand what a charismatic leader does, what skills they rely upon, and what dangers they need to avoid. 

Read on to discover all of this and more as we take a good look at how to become a charismatic leader. 

What Is Charismatic Leadership?

A charismatic leader is one that is defined by their communication skills. They use many aspects of communication to inspire their team, make them believe in the goal, make them want to help the company achieve the goals, and blow them out of the water. 

They have developed tongues of persuasion that charm people with words. But this isn’t just a surface-level charm. It has to be partnered with genuine empathy for the team. Without this, it faces the danger of the leader becoming a self-serving leader viewed as shallow. Genuine empathy maintains respect amongst the team and makes them want to listen to what you have to say and work with you to the best of their ability.

The Different Types of Leadership

One of the greatest things about humanity is also one of the least accepted. Everyone is different. Everyone is unique in their own way. Everyone sees things slightly differently, understands things based on their own backgrounds, customs, and upbringings. This means that when it comes to people, there is no shortage of variety.

Because of this variety, many types of leadership models have been made. Each variant has its own strengths and weaknesses. No one can say one form of leadership is better than another because it ultimately depends on the type of people that leader is trying to lead. 

So, while Charismatic leadership is efficient in dealing with positive, encouraging, inspirational creativity, it would not work very well for someone who likes set rules that stay and never change. That type of person would flourish better under bureaucratic leadership. 

As a leader, it falls to you to find the right way to lead your team. 

Effectiveness of the Style

Charismatic leaders lead by strong communication skills, genuine empathy, and a passion for the goal. This effect creates a friendly working environment where the team looks up to the leader, loves to hear what the leader has to say on a topic, and is inspired by what they are told. This is especially useful inside companies that are struggling or failing. A good charismatic leader in this situation can put the fire back into the bones of the team and bring a company back from the brink of destruction.

However, like any type of leadership, it has flaws that need to be watched out for.

A charismatic leader inspires the team to do what they say. The problem with this is it shuts out other opportunities. Someone on that team can have the best solution to a company problem. But a charismatic leader can hold such sway over the team that this solution never gets heard. 

While a charismatic leader can create a team that will comply with the instructions given because they have been given in such a bright, positive, and influential way, what happens when the leader moves on? 

The team has been following a leader to whom they will have grown attached. The charisma involved will have led the team to act without thinking for themselves leading to a stagnant team when another lead takes over. This can be a hard hurdle to overcome, and it happens quite often as charismatic leaders are often brought in to rescue companies. They move on to help another when the job is done leaving a team to find their feet under new management.

Bottom line. It is effective in helping a company gain ground, helping a team rebuild passion, and creating an atmosphere of positive compliance. But, once the time for charismatic leadership has ended it is hard for the team to readjust.

Qualities of a Charismatic Leader

Charisma and other communication skills are obviously strong qualities in this department. They are the ones a charismatic leader needs to be focused on. However, there are other traits one would need.

• Strong Communication Skills: This would include the ability to speak with passion, move with confidence, provide caring and constructive feedback, and the skill to keep an audience engaged with what you are saying. Someone with great communication skills is already on the rung to becoming a charismatic leader. 
• Positivity: The idea of this type of leadership is to bring about positive change. This will not happen unless you are carrying a strong amount of positivity, willingness, and passion yourself. 
• Empathy: You need to be able to relate to the team. They are not going to care about what you have to say unless you care about them. Listen to them, talk to them (not at them) and show them that meeting the goals does not only help you or the company, it must help them as well. Get your goals aligned. 
• Revolutionary: This is a word often used in connection with a charismatic leader. The outside-the-box mission that they bring to the table is meant to save a plight from the edge of disaster and bring about significant positive changes. 

Charismatic Leaders in History

History has seen its fair share of charismatic leaders come and go. It defines a charismatic leader by the inspiration they instilled in their followers, the emotionally, empathetic connection they had with their people, and the way they led to make significant positive change. Here are some of the most memorable:

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon was a military commander who had mastered the art of charismatic communication. An art he used to bring the French Revolution back from the brink of disaster, gain the support of the people of France, and created the Napoleonic Code which can still be found in legal systems today.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore became popular through his use of strong charismatic communication skills. The people loved to hear from him. He brought passion to his speeches, showed how much he cared for his people,ff and drew in a wide audience through the way he delivered his vision. His contagious energy and winning attitude made the people believe in him.

Adolf Hitler

A warning about just how powerful charismatic leadership can be. An educated man, and a
very charismatic speaker with some truly horrific viewpoints and ideologies. Make no mistake,
the atrocities his regime foisted on the people of the world are down to his charisma. His
addition on this list is for no other reason than to show how powerful messaging, when
delivered charismatically, can be.
No matter how objectionable and rancid the message itself is. And his was/is.

Barack Obama

Still regarded as one of the most popular presidents, Barack Obama made his mark on the world through his charismatic speeches. He used humor to a good advantage, commanded the attention of an audience with few words, and gained the respect of a country. It is argued his changes would have been much greater and more revolutionary if not for the contentiousness of the environment around him. Nevertheless, he will be remembered for a long time for his charismatic leadership. 

How to Be a Charismatic Leader

Any skill can be learned, even charisma. Charisma, when one thinks about it, is not about good looks. It is about the way we present ourselves through well-learned communication skills. It is the way we hold ourselves. The confidence we show. The passion we deliver. To be a charismatic leader, this is the first skill you need to build. 

1. Strong communication skills are a must. Learn to speak with confidence, optimism, passion, and greatness. Use words and language that inspire and delight, encourage and build up. 
2. Create a revolutionary future. Find a goal that will bring definite, but positive, change to the company. Have a route marked out to get you and your team to that goal.
3. Get to know your team. Empathy is a must. If you struggle with empathy, find yourself a second in command who has heaps of empathy. They can help where you lack.
4. Find out how your goals and your teams’ goals can align and build on them. They will listen to you more if they can see their own benefit.
5. Deliver your ideas to your team through passionate conversation. Lead by example and word. The more you show your belief and passion in the project the more they will believe in it themselves. 
6. Change the world and go down in history as a charismatic leader who brought about positive change.