All the hoopla of the past political season got us thinking about the importance of that unique likeability factor called charisma. Specifically, as business leaders, do we need to have – or develop – charisma?
In her insightful blog, HBR professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter says that yes, charisma can be a decisive business factor because it engenders trust. People trust a leader with charisma because they “have faith in the groups he can assemble because of his magnetism.” That’s a winning business formula. And in case you’re not naturally loaded with charisma (think: Clinton), you can cultivate some of its key ingredients:
- A genuine interest in people
- Listening to people’s needs and concerns, and showing that you will help them achieve their goals
- Treating people like each is special and deserves attention
- Remembering details about individuals
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