Friday, November 05, 2010

Five Secrets of Charismatic Leadership

Even if you lack charisma, you can still mobilize your team by following a tried-and-true formula, writes Nick Tasler, who points out that introverts often outperform extroverts at the top.

Displaying charismatic leadership is one of the most effective ways to boost everything from motivation and creativity to productivity and plain old satisfaction. It's the manager's job to get those things done. But what if you fall somewhere between Ben Stein and Alan Greenspan on the charisma scale?

The good news is that you are not doomed to fail as a leader. A new study shows that the more reserved style of introverted leaders can actually inspire better performance in followers. If the employees are extroverted, the team will perform better under the leadership of an introvert. Introverted leaders are more likely to take a team approach to problem-solving and to let talented team members spread their wings. However, if you need to light a fire under a more reserved group, a little charisma in your messaging can go a long way.

The Charismatic Narrative

Anyone can use this structure to present a charismatic message. Just follow these five steps:

1. Define the main character: Your story must be about your audience or someone your audience cares about.

2. Describe the happy ending.

3. Describe the not-so-happy beginning.

4. Describe what action you want them to take.

5. Just add watery eyes: Use emotions to rouse the team