What is charisma. Charisma in a person and its development

What is Charisma

Charisma is a set of certain qualities and characteristics of the human personality, which allows you to attract, enchant, unite around you and inspire other people. By itself, the word "Charisma" is of ancient Greek origin and literally translates as "gift from God" or "gifted by God."

What is CHARISMA - definition in simple words.

In simple words, charisma is a term commonly used to refer to a person's ability to win attention and admiration among other people. In fact, at the moment there is no exact and unambiguous definition of charisma. The thing is that the charisma of a person is not some specific quality of character or personality. In fact, this is a combination of various personality traits and abilities, which leads to the fact that people around them begin to experience an inexplicable sympathy or craving for such a person.

Despite the fact that it is rather difficult to determine which specific factors make a particular person more charismatic, it has been observed through observations that most of these personalities have the following qualities:

• optimism and positivity;
• self-confidence;
• Inner calmness and confidence in the rightness of actions;
• Tendency to dominate in any situation;
• Exceptional determination;
• Sincerity and expressive emotionality in statements;
• High communication and public speaking skills;
• Tall (Ability to listen and understand other people's problems);
• Self-giving and reasonable generosity.

It should be noted that this list of qualities is very conditional, and many great charismatic personalities did not have all these character traits. This is the main mystery of the essence of charisma. The fact is that it is absolutely unclear for what reasons, and what combination of qualities, can make one person incredibly charismatic, and another absolutely mediocre.

What else you need to know about charisma.

First of all, you need to understand that a charismatic person is not necessarily a good person. The thing is that having high charisma can be equated with having a high-class tool for managing other people. But the motives and true goals of people can be different, and how a person will use his charisma depends on them. So, for example, if Mahatma Gandhi sought to make the world kinder and better, then Adolf Hitler brought the world only the horror of war, and a bunch of other troubles. Although these two personalities were incredibly charismatic, as we can see, their goals and methods were completely different.

Is charisma an innate or acquired property?

Oddly enough, but there is no single answer to this question either. Observations show that the makings of increased charisma can indeed be an innate property, but the development of the necessary qualities is the result of hard work on oneself. Thus, we can conclude that almost every person, with due effort, is able to develop a charismatic personality. It goes without saying that not everyone is able to become great figures and idols of millions, but it is definitely possible to raise one's position in society through charisma.

How to increase Charisma.

Frankly speaking, the formation of high charisma is a very long and laborious process, built on the individual characteristics of each individual person. And if you want to seriously take on this complex matter, then you should turn to more specialized literature and resources on psychology. But still, a few simple tips can be given purely as an example.

Positive.

Try to be a more positive and smiling person. People are not too inclined to sympathize with eternally gloomy and pessimistic personalities. In general, despite your true goals, do everything with a smile and a good mood.

Confidence.

Try to exude confidence in all your actions. Even if you doubt inside, don't show it. People like self-confident personalities, this creates a certain halo of firmness, determination, and wisdom.

Persistence.

Feel free to be assertive but not aggressive. Perseverance indicates that a person knows his own worth, and people like it.

Listening skills.

Learn to listen to other people. Try to delve into what exactly excites a person during a conversation. So you will win his trust and sympathy.

Curb your ego and pride.

Try not to flaunt your accomplishments, and don't be overly selfish. and people don't like egoists too much. The best option is to be at the level: "a little higher than a simpleton." So people will be able to feel that you are both “one of your own” and something higher.

Passion.

If you start a business, then do it with all the passion and ardor. Such manifestations infect people with your idea and motivation.

Honesty.

Try to be as honest as possible. Many people are able to recognize lies. It is better to remain silent about something than to lie openly.

Generosity.

Don't be a miser, people don't like greedy people. But, this does not mean that it is worth being a spender. People around you should understand that you do not feel sorry for money for worthwhile things, but at the same time, you are not inclined to throw money away.

Sense of humor.

Humor is often a component of high charisma. A well-timed good joke can significantly increase the opinion of a person in a company for the better.

We tend to think that charisma is something that cannot be measured or accurately described in words. At the same time, there are researchers in the West who study the behavior of charismatic people. And based on their data, it follows that charisma can be measured. Moreover, charisma can be pumped and developed in oneself.

What is charisma? Qualities of a charismatic personality

Charisma is the ability of a person to win over other people, motivate them and become a leader in a particular area of ​​life. Charisma helps to achieve tasks and gently influence other people. Other people themselves are happy to help a charismatic person.

Important components of charisma:

• force;
• presence in the present moment;
• friendly attitude;

Olivia Fox Cobain writes about this in her book Charisma. According to the author, charisma is read, among other things, by our non-verbal signals (body language). Body language subtly conveys our surroundings. A charismatic person clearly knows and acts in accordance with them, but not forgetting the interests of other people. This quality is also called.

Charismatic speaker and storytelling skills

Charismatic people can easily hold the attention of a large audience. That is why such people can often easily gather a fairly large audience and it is interesting to talk about some of their ideas. In many ways, they are helped not only by what they say, but also by how they say it. This is what development consultants often talk about. You can pump up your ability to speak in public with the help of training and special techniques, such as.

Charismatic people, as well as charismatic speakers, are not born, but become. Well-known charismatic personalities were not immediately so, but formed their skills and abilities through constant training. For example, through constant public speaking, participation in literary discussion clubs, and so on. Approximately in this style, for example, acted.

If traced, then he became an outstanding speaker only over time. Although he had some inclinations of charisma, apparently, given by nature.

The development of oratory is closely related to the development of charisma. You may be interested in our materials on this topic:

Every person has. Charisma is not some separate quality, but a combination of qualities that help a person move forward in business. In her book, Olivia Fox Cobain tells us that the same person in different situations can behave charismatic or not charismatic. This is influenced by the situation and some internal factors.

For example, any physical discomfort suppresses charisma. It could be:

• lack of sleep;
• hunger;
• cold;
• runny nose;
• etc.

A big role is played by facial expressions, gestures, micro-gestures and so on. At the same time, a charismatic person is not prone to such states as.

What is charisma and male charisma in particular? By themselves, these words already hypnotize, enchant, draw in the subconscious the image of a person with a certain gait, demeanor, unusual voice, look. Women dream of meeting a charismatic man, and the representatives of the stronger sex themselves want to become one. The most interesting thing is that there is no clearly defined definition of what a charismatic man looks like. Everyone puts their ideas, their experience, etc. into this concept. However, let's still try to determine what kind of man can be called charismatic, consider some examples of such personalities and find out how to become a person who literally attracts you.

Charisma - what is it?

In the scientific community there are not one or two definitions of this concept, but more than 60! That is why we talk about ambiguity and breadth. The very concept of "charisma" appeared in ancient Greece and it means "gift". This is the usual meaning of the word "charismatic." A man who can be described in this way has magnetism. In Christianity, it was believed that such a person was endowed with great power, God's gift was given to him, he had a special spark. If we talk about the Russian language, then the synonym for the word "charismatic" will be "charming".

Why is charisma necessary?

A charismatic man is, as a rule, a mentally strong, strong-willed, successful person, it is easy for him to achieve his goals, he feels great in society. Surely, at least once in her life, every woman has met a representative of the stronger sex, who, it would seem, does not stand out in any way - neither in appearance, nor in style of clothing, but he attracts, disposes, you want to be with him, communicate and so on. This is the charismatic man.

At all times there have been lucky and successful individuals, to whom everything is easy. They freely and naturally lead both three people and thousands, they win over them, they listen to them and want to obey them. These are bosses, and directors of any levels, and actors. Although there are many examples when a man does not lead either the country or the team, is not a cool boss, but the aura around him is simply magical. Women next to such representatives of the stronger sex feel confident, warm and comfortable. That's what a charismatic man is. Now it becomes clear why this trait is needed and why many people want to be just such personalities.

Max Weber on a charismatic person

Now let's look at who a charismatic man is from the point of view of psychology. The German political scientist and social psychologist Weber was the first to describe this concept from a scientific point of view. He believed that charisma is a unique It helps to look against the background of others as an exceptional, outstanding person who is endowed with a special power that is inaccessible to most.

According to Weber's theory, such a man (rarely a woman) is able to influence huge masses of people, "charge" them with a certain energy. Today, this personality trait is a necessary tool for a successful manager, a leader who wants to influence the consciousness of a group, to subjugate people. In order to know how to become a charismatic man, you need to determine what features he should have. We will talk about this further.

Qualities of a charismatic man

1. Individual and unique image. Such a person has his own external image, special facial expressions, gestures, gait, intonation.
2. Complete self-confidence. This is a rather multifaceted quality, but its main components are courage, determination, clarity in decision-making; complete independence, that is, the developed habit of relying only on one's own strength, not relying on others; the ability to confidently and specifically make others understand their position.
3. Empathy and self-control. This is the ability to regulate, control your emotions, feelings. flexibility, the ability not only to listen, but also to hear, the ability to understand other people at the level of intuition, to "feel" them.
4. Gallantry, politeness, lack of brutal behavior, harsh gestures.

You are not born charismatic, you become that way

If the above qualities are not inherent in you, then it is never too late to start working on yourself. No one is born great or famous right away, but the resources of a person allow you to achieve a lot in life, the main thing is to want. Take Arnold Schwarzenegger for example. He was not born with a biceps of 57 cm! Everything that we see today is the result of self-improvement, exhausting workouts. Yes, it's physical strength. But along with it, thinking develops. You can train everything, including charisma.

Think of Winston Churchill. As a child, he had very poor health, did not study well, so his parents decided to send their son to an army class. And what happened in the end? He graduated from this class as one of 12 students, engaged in self-education, became a writer, journalist, influential political figure, winner of many awards, prime minister. This suggests that any person can become charismatic. How to work on yourself? What do we have to do? How to become a charismatic man? Let's consider several methods.

"The image of a charismatic personality"

Create a relaxing environment for yourself so that you are not disturbed by people or sounds. Close your eyes, focus and clearly imagine the image of such a person who will cause you admiration. This is not a real person, but just your fantasy. Imagine clearly his appearance, the ability to behave, conduct a conversation, style of clothing. Think of as many features as possible. Next, endow this image with the necessary qualities, present them in action. Do not rush to finish the exercise, everything should be fixed in your mind as clearly and specifically as possible. Now try to translate everything into real life.

"Controlling Emotions"

In this case, you will need a regular dice. Throw it, and subtract three from the dropped number. Depending on what the figure turned out, you have to control your emotions. If, for example, "-2", then you need to get rid of the two feelings that you are experiencing today (from despondency, laziness, hunger, etc.). If you got the number "1", on the contrary, come up with a feeling and develop it (enthusiasm, joy, happiness, etc.).

"Feeling"

Every day, in the process of talking with a person, try not just to speak, but pay close attention to his intonation, voice, facial expressions, gestures, pauses. So you will learn to feel and “see” the inner world of other people, better understand their thoughts and actions.

Conclusion

The most charismatic men are speakers, scientists, leaders, politicians, and many others. For example, we all know such a person as Mahatma Gandhi. His main creed in life was the idea of ​​non-violence. His charisma contributed to the fact that the masses followed him, people believed in the possibility of resolving conflicts peacefully, and this is in a society that is simply overflowing with violence!

Steve Jobs is another example of a charismatic person. His biography is read more than the most popular novels and detective stories. He became a successful entrepreneur only thanks to strong personal qualities, inner strength. He believed that a person cannot become successful if he has not stumbled and failed before. It tempers the personality. If you make a mistake, then change the strategy, not the course! Follow this rule, develop and become charismatic!

John Potts

Professor at Macquarie University (Australia), specializing in media. His interests include the study of culture and technology, contemporary art and the history of thought. The latest book he has written so far is The New Time and Space (2015).

It is easier to understand what it is than to define it. Various newspaper and magazine articles give the same examples of charismatic leaders: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama. However, it is rare to find a description of charisma as such in them. The question of the need for the presence of charismatic features in the so-called "transformational" leader remains highly controversial.

At the same time, bookstore shelves are crammed with self-improvement books that promise the reader to discover all the secrets of charisma.

Early conceptions of charisma

Some believe that it is impossible to get to the bottom of the concept of "charisma" because it is something abstract, which only rare individuals possess. But what is charisma?

The concept of charisma goes back to the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, written around 50 AD. In them you can find the first written mention of the word "charisma", derived from the Greek word charis, which means "gift", "grace". The apostle Paul defined charisma as "divine grace" or "gift of God."

In Paul's letters to the young Christian communities of the Roman Empire, the word charismata ("gifts of grace") was mentioned. He identified nine gifts of both supernatural and natural nature: the gifts of prophecy, healing, speaking and interpreting tongues, the gift of imparting knowledge, and the gifts of ministry.

The Apostle Paul considered the concept of charisma as mystical: it was believed that divine gifts could be poured out on any person without the mediation of church institutions. There was no such thing as charisma in leadership. Complementary gifts of grace were supposed to serve the congregations without the aid of an overhead leader.

However, by the 4th century, under the active influence of the church, the concept of “charisma” ceased to mean something received directly from the Holy Spirit. It was more advantageous for the church to be viewed in the context of an ecclesiastical hierarchy, at the top of which were the bishops. They interpreted the divine laws described in the Bible in their own way.

The old concept of charisma survived only thanks to heretics. Among them were preachers who advocated the idea of ​​receiving divine inspiration directly without recourse to the bishops or the Holy Scriptures. This kind of "heresy" was severely persecuted by the church.

Max Weber's concept of charisma

For several centuries, the concept of charisma was practically not mentioned anywhere. Interest in him was revived only in the 20th century, when the German sociologist Max Weber turned to him in his works. In fact, we owe the modern meaning of the concept of "charisma" to Weber. He reworked the religious ideas of the Apostle Paul in a secular way and considered charisma in the context of sociological concepts of power and leadership.

According to Weber's works, there are three types of power: rational-legal, traditional and charismatic. Weber considered the charismatic type of power to be revolutionary, unstable, representing a kind of antidote to the "iron cage" of the rationality of the modern "disenchanted" world. He believed that there was something heroic in a charismatic leader who captivated the public with his skill.

Weber defined charisma as "the quality of a person, recognized as extraordinary, due to which it is evaluated as gifted with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically special powers and properties that are not available to other people."

He analyzed the manifestations of charismatic leadership in the face of military or religious leaders and harbored hopes that charismatic leadership as a phenomenon would not disappear anywhere even in the conditions of the functioning of the strictly regulated bureaucratic systems of the modern world.

Max Weber died in 1920 without seeing how his ideas were applied in politics and culture. Perhaps he was lucky, as the first charismatic political leaders were Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Therefore, many European thinkers came to the conclusion that manifestations of charismatic power entail ominous events.

This dark side of charismatic leadership has been around for a long time. Such leaders of various movements and communes of the 60s of the XX century, such as Charles Manson, with his talent for "bewitching" followers, were also instantly classified as charismatic. By this point, Weber's work had already been translated, so the term "charisma" had gained popularity in English-speaking countries since the 1950s.

Modern interpretation of the concept of "charisma"

The first politicians to be called charismatic leaders by the media not for their manipulative, but for their positive traits were John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. After the 60s of the XX century, the word "charisma" came into active use, as it began to be used not only in relation to political leaders, but also to prominent personalities famous in other areas: for example, Mohammed Ali.

Currently, the concept of "charisma" is used to describe some personalities: politicians, celebrities, businessmen. By charisma, we mean a special quality inherent in nature, which distinguishes people from the general mass and attracts other people to them.

Charisma is considered a rare quality associated with special giftedness. For example, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are usually referred to as American politicians with the qualities of a charismatic leader, but at the moment no one else has been awarded such a title except for them.

In business, the charismatic leader was Steve Jobs: far-sighted and inspiring, at the same time changeable, unstable in his moods. In the celebrity community, while much of the entertainment industry is dedicated to fabricating "stars" on Idols and The Voice, charisma is seen as a sign of rare and genuine talent. This is something that reality shows cannot create.

The dual role of charisma

Do modern politicians need charisma at all? David Barnett, a journalist who writes biographies of political figures, called charismatic leadership "one of the most dangerous things that exists in a democratic society." Charismatic leaders can inspire their followers with grandiose rhetoric, which often leads to division and great harm to the members of the party or to the entire population of the country led by such a leader.

Usually it is enough for political parties to have harmless leaders popular among the people and close to them, whose ideas are understandable to ordinary people. Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating was a charismatic figure who made wise decisions in office. At the same time, he created a split in the Labor Party, alienating most of its traditional backbone with his undisguised arrogance.

His successor, John Howard, was considered by all to be completely devoid of charisma, but it was his “ordinary” that turned out to be the most significant advantage: he did not intimidate people, but gave them a sense of confidence in the future.

At the same time, the tenure of Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi, beloved by the people, has had a detrimental effect on the life of a democratic society. A charismatic leader can be interesting, even attractive, but his success often means that the state of the political party he represents, or even the entire democratic regime, can be in jeopardy.

So, the concept of "charisma" is already 2,000 years old. Is there a connection between the modern understanding of charisma as a special form of manifestation of power and religious ideas about charisma from the time of the Apostle Paul? This connection is embedded in the concept of natural giftedness. The Apostle Paul believed that in order to acquire charisma, the help of bishops or the church is not needed, it is poured out on a person from above as divine grace.

Today, it still appears as a mysterious talent that cannot be lost. No one knows why only a select few are gifted with it. As before, charisma remains a mystery to us.

Good afternoon everyone! Admit it, how often you have heard the term charismatic person is ..., but did not think about what specific meaning is embedded in these words. Usually, in this case, our imagination draws in our heads courageous images of actors, decisive politicians, catchy musicians, and strong-willed leaders.

Indeed, in everyday life, prototypes of such personalities are regularly encountered, which are firmly embedded in our memory even at a fleeting meeting. I propose to consider in detail this human type, which excites the minds of others and even sometimes causes subconscious envy.

Let's define the terminology. The very word "charisma" is of Greek origin, and means a certain giftedness or exclusivity, endowing the owner with a kind of "key" to the hearts of others.

In simple words, charisma is a set of certain abilities of a person, thanks to which others consider him endowed with special qualities and simply a non-standard personality. And today the word "charismatic" refers to an authoritative and self-confident person.

Although there are more than sixty interpretations of this concept among scientists, it is generally alien to the classical Russian language. For example, in such publications as the dictionary of Ozhegov or Dahl, it is quite difficult to find an analogue for this term.

Perhaps the closest in meaning can be considered the word "outstanding", which means "unusual" and "stands out among others." With the penetration into popular culture, this word has become often used not only by psychologists, but also in politics, business and the media industry.

Signs of a charismatic person

It is usually easier to single out such a person from the crowd. His internal energy literally bursts out, and as if shouting "Pay attention to me!". Therefore, such a person seems to be filled with light, which serves as a beacon for the surrounding subdued brothers.

What specific features are characteristic of a charismatic person, you ask. There are a lot of them, here are the most characteristic:

1. Excellent communication and communication skills.
2. Psychological confidence in their abilities and themselves.
3. Increased sense of responsibility and readiness to answer for their actions at any time.
4. Optimistic outlook and positive attitude.
5. A sense of tact and respect for others.
6. Regular self-improvement, the desire to develop in all areas.
7. Effective control of emotions and thoughts.
8. A sense of empathy and a well-developed so-called. emotional intuition.
9. High intelligence.
10. External manifestations - from gait and posture to voice, gestures and facial expressions.

Top charismatic people

Despite the fact that leadership qualities are extremely strong in almost every charismatic person, the vector of their influence is quite diverse. Someone is able to masterfully organize the tenants of the house for a subbotnik, and someone is able to manage entire nations. One is able to direct his energy in a creative direction, the other in a destructive one.

That is why among the most prominent personalities there are characters that are extremely contradictory in their essence. Depending on the type of activity, I will give examples such outstanding charismatic persons:

From the acting environment:

1. Marlon Brando.
2. Adriano Celentano.
3. Takeshi Kitano.
4. Clint Eastwood.
5. Mickey Rourke.
6. Antonio Banderas.
7. Sylvester Stallone.
8. Bruce Willis.
9. Jim carrey.
10. Vincent Cassel.

In the political sphere:

Among women, the most charismatic are considered to be:

What kind of person would refuse to become the center of attention of others, looking at him in awe and greedily catching every word? But not everyone is endowed with such a gift.

Nevertheless, even if you do not feel a charismatic beginning in yourself, with due work on yourself and a fair amount of perseverance, you can make significant progress by cultivating those qualities that most of us lack so much.

It is not enough just to ask rhetorically how to become one of those who are able to lead the rest; it is necessary to strictly follow the intended goal, following a number of rules:

1. Try to look at the surrounding reality through the prism of positive, get rid of cynicism.
2. Control intonation, let your words be filled with confidence.
3. Pay attention to the interlocutor.
4. Try to be as cool as possible in any situation.
5. Develop in yourself such a quality as patience.
6. Get rid of stereotypes and prejudices, be open to everything new.
7. Develop a sense of tact.
8. Don't put off anything for the future. Do everything right here and now.
9. Do good deeds. They not only come back like a boomerang, but also increase self-esteem.
10. Be sincere - this is a rare but extremely valuable quality.
11. Evolve all the time and never stop working on yourself.
12. Set realistic, achievable, and most importantly, specific goals.

Specifically, men can be advised to maintain their physical condition in order to develop charisma, learn to find points of interaction with any interlocutors, train decisiveness and do not forget about a sense of humor.

The beautiful half is recommended to take care of their appearance, train charm and charm, getting rid of the love of criticism and gossip, as well as the desire to find inner harmony and love. Female charisma not only helps in communicating with the male sex, but also stimulates career growth, and also turns every girl into a unique and unrepeatable one.

It often happens that many, in their blind desire to possess the gift of charisma, never get the desired happiness or joy as a result. Indeed, within the framework of this reckless pursuit of self-improvement, the simple truth is forgotten that even the owners of innate charisma are the same ordinary people, with their own shortcomings, problems and experiences.

The presence of charisma in itself does not make a person happy, it just helps to walk through life with an easier step. In addition, if innate properties are perceived by the bearer of a charismatic warehouse as something natural and self-evident, then a person who breaks his own true self through the knee can be kept in subconscious stress by the constant need to play a role that is far from characteristic of him.

From this we conclude: it’s great when you strive for progress, comprehensively developing and acquiring new skills. But don't go down the path that is not meant for you.

Let the images of charismatic characters serve you not as a source of imitation, but only as a guide for correcting your personal shortcomings. And then you can be happy without envying someone and without turning yourself into a mirror copy of some “ideal”.

On this I say goodbye to you, friends! Subscribe to the blog, share publications on social networks and return to the blog again for a fresh portion of interesting materials.