7 Subtle Traits of Charismatic People, According to Psychology

Charisma is often viewed as the ability of an individual to influence and attract the people around them. Charismatic people can walk into a room and completely own it without even trying. They possess a particular set of skills that gives them a considerable advantage in all aspects of their life. These aspects could be both personal and professional. 

Understanding charisma means looking at human behaviour and all its aspects. It includes verbal aspects like how they converse with others and nonverbal aspects like emotional intelligence, empathy, and more. As we dive further into the concept of ‘charisma’ we will find out that it is not just an inherent quality, rather it is something one can learn through practice and experience. It can help an individual to enhance their social influence and personal presence.

History of ‘Charisma’

The term ‘charisma’ was used in the early 1600s in a religious context. In that era, it meant a divine gift of grace.  

Max Weber, a German sociologist, was the first person to use the term ‘charisma’ widely in terms of leadership in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft in the early 1910s. Weber says that the charismatic leader has just one duty towards their subjects, that they are the God-willed master in reality, that charisma knows only inner determination and inner constraint, and that it rests on no legitimacy other than personal strength. This means that it had its origin in the theological world. It was later used in a political context and can now be observed in the dating world. The word ‘charisma’ has its origin in the Greek language, where the word means ‘favour’ or ‘gift’. 

Read More: The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, According to Psychology

The Anatomy of Charisma

There are various theories of charisma, all of which draw a similar conclusion, ‘charisma is the ability of an individual to communicate effectively, attract attention, and affect people on an emotional level.’ According to research, seven characteristics are most commonly associated with a charismatic person. They are

Emotional Expressiveness

Emotional expressiveness is the ability of an individual to communicate effectively not only through words, that is, verbal communication, but also through nonverbal communication like gestures, body language, tone of voice, and other behaviours. Emotionally expressive people tend to have a better first impression of other people.  Moreover, they also have more friends and better relationships with their acquaintances than inexpressive people. They receive a larger support and encouragement from people. When a person expresses their emotions and reactions openly, it showcases their genuineness and creates an authentic connection with others. Therefore, they receive greater social support.

Enthusiastic

Enthusiasm can be described as a feeling of being interested and energetic about something. Charismatic people are full of energy and are very passionate about their goals and visions. This energy is contagious and makes other people involved as well. This is one of the major reasons why charismatic people are good leaders. They are committed to their goals and can make people work together as a team and get along well. This energy keeps them and the people around them motivated, making their cause more compelling. Their positive energy is often irresistible.

Read More: Signs You are Born to be a Leader, According to Psychology 

Driven

Charismatic people are very sorted about their goals and ambitions and have a clear vision of what they need to do to achieve that goal. They work with focus and resilience to achieve what they want. This inner drive not only fosters confidence in them but also motivates others. This motivation sparks a drive in them as well to work towards their cause. Drive and enthusiasm in this case, often go hand in hand as one supports the other. The motivation generated by both these factors fuels a collective sense of purpose. They have leadership qualities as this drive gives them the ability to provide a sense of direction to others.

Read More: 14 Effective Ways to Boost Self-Motivation and Achieve Your Goals

Eloquent

Eloquent individuals are said to be good with words, that is, verbal communication. They effortlessly put their views and thoughts in front of others in a way that is convincing and inspiring. They possess a good knowledge of tone, pitch, volume, and voice modulation they need to use while conversing with someone. They can put extremely complex ideas into a simpler manner for everybody to understand. This eloquence, when combined with other characteristics like emotional expressiveness and enthusiasm, gives us a good leader. Being eloquent makes other people more receptive to their ideas due to a better understanding.

Read More: How to Speak so that People Will Listen: Psychology Behind Communication

Visionary

A visionary person is someone who can articulate the outcomes or future possibilities. A charismatic person might be able to envision good outcomes through a particular path and encourage other people to follow that path. However, just being visionary is not enough to make an individual charismatic or a leader. Along with the vision, one also needs strategy and the ability to perfectly execute that vision. This is where the other characteristics of a charismatic person come into play. Being eloquent and emotionally expressive helps them to convey their point effectively. The drive and enthusiasm help them to motivate and inspire others to work towards a vision.

Self-Confident

A Charismatic person has a strong belief in their ideas and abilities. This self-confidence not only helps them but also fosters trust and security among other people. People view them as confident and reliable people. Self-confidence makes a person appear steady and appealing in a non-boastful way. Being self-confident is also a result of all the other characteristics of a charismatic person combined. And because they are confident about themselves in a non-boastful manner, they don’t make other people feel inadequate and give them space to grow and learn. Moreover, all these qualities also lead to social intelligence and social competence. 

Responsive

A charismatic person is highly responsive to other people’s feelings, ideas, and behaviours. This responsiveness cultivates mutual understanding and respect. They effectively interpret nonverbal communication too. Moreover, they can also interpret other people’s emotions and attitudes appropriately. Due to being attentive and their ability to connect with people, they provide an environment of comfort and empowerment. When people feel valued and understood, they find an individual relatable and trustworthy.

Together, all these qualities create a charismatic person and a multidimensional personality that seems attractive and influential to other people. The combination of emotional expressiveness, enthusiasm, drive, eloquence, vision, self-confidence, and responsiveness toward others makes a person a good and charismatic leader. People are comfortable with them and feel inspired by their behaviours and actions. Furthermore, they feel comfortable around them and have no problem with collaborating with them or even following them. 

Emotional Intelligence and Charisma

Emotional intelligence can be described as an individual’s ability to manage their own emotions and correctly interpret those of others as well. Now that we have seen the 7 characteristics important in a charismatic person, we know how emotional intelligence plays a role here. It is essential for responsiveness, vision, and more. A person with high emotional intelligence or emotional quotient can connect with other people on a deeper level, anticipate what their needs are, and find a solution effectively.

Research was conducted that recognized 5 components of emotional intelligence that predict charisma.

Perceiving Emotions

Perceiving emotions does not only mean understanding the emotions of oneself and those of others but also the willingness to express them. It includes both verbal and nonverbal cues, tone modulation, and body language. A person who is skilled enough can detect slight changes in voice, mood, and behaviours and can appropriately respond to them. This skill is useful not only to others but also to oneself as it is an essential component of self-awareness. 

Use of Emotions

Now that the emotions are appropriately perceived, it is essential that we properly utilize them to our benefit. Emotions are a powerful tool that guides us in decision-making, problem-solving, thinking, creativity, and other cognitive aspects. For example, when you feel happy or joyous, it brings out your creative thinking and when you are stressed, you might lean more towards an analytical problem-solving approach. Charismatic people showcase their emotional expressiveness to get everyone involved, encouraging productivity and effective collaboration. 

Understanding Emotions

Understanding emotions does not only mean understanding what other people are feeling, but also determining the meaning, cause, and complexities of those emotions. This component is directly linked to empathy as it includes recognizing emotions, how they change, and how they evolve. This skill is considered important in a charismatic leader because it also helps in conflict resolution since it helps to anticipate someone’s emotional state and respond to it appropriately.

Read More: 10 Factors that Contribute to Happiness, According to Psychology

Managing Emotions

Managing one’s emotions, which is also termed as self-regulation is the ability to maintain an emotional balance, particularly in stressful and negative situations. It means being able to control, manage, and regulate emotions whenever required. This can be done by reframing negative thoughts, developing healthy coping mechanisms, and finding positive ways to bounce back from adversities. Managing the emotions of oneself is important, but a charismatic person might also help others to manage their emotions as well. This support and encouragement lead to effective management and cultivate focus, resilience, and a positive mindset.

Read More: The Psychology Behind Emotions

Relationship Management

Relationship management or social management is the ability of a person to use their emotional intelligence to foster good relationships that are beneficial for both parties. The last component of emotional intelligence is all about compiling the previous components- perceiving, using, understanding, and managing emotions, to foster effective social relationships. This is a very essential skill in a charismatic leader since it includes effective conflict resolution, fostering cooperation, and encouraging teamwork. People working under this person feel motivated and valued due to their leader’s effective approach towards emotions.

Read More: 14 signs you are in a Healthy Relationship, According to Psychologists

Charisma in the Digital Age

We are now at a point in time where everything is determined by social media. In this era of the digital age and online interactions becoming very common, charisma has become a way to gain social media attention as it guarantees the growth of popularity, recognition, and success and influences a large audience. However, it is difficult to tell if a person is charismatic or not from behind the screen, and therefore, it requires a different skill set to be considered charismatic in the digital age.

Nonverbal Cues

When we interact in person, we often communicate via nonverbal cues like eye contact, gesture, posture, etc. These cues however are of no use when it comes to communicating online. If one is communicating through a video call, facial expressions and overall body language remain essential but when interacting through texts, these factors cannot be taken into consideration. Here, the way you express yourself in written form, grammatical correctness, and proper use of punctuation and emojis can give a subtle hint of your charismatic personality.

Authentic Communication

It is very easy to lose someone’s focus during online communication. Since there is no vocal component here, the texts might often fall flat and the response might be dull. Charismatic digital communication is using effective written communication strategies like keeping your texts to the point and using words like ‘I’ or ‘we’ to foster a sense of belongingness. The person reading should find the interaction genuine and personal. It creates reliability and trust.

Community Engagement

To be charismatic in this digital world, one has to be constantly engaging with people on social media. It includes engaging in comments, sending a direct message, or actively participating in online communities. This creates a safe space for people where they feel like they are being seen and heard. Charismatic people build online communities just by engaging positively and making them feel valued.

Read More: Four Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Mental Health

Consistency

Consistency is the key to being considered charismatic on social media. Regular updates and interaction are very essential to keep the community engaged. Maintaining consistency not only in posting but also in the tone and style of texts keeps up your impression and makes people feel connected to you and your cause. This trust and likability leads people to be inspired by the person behind the screen. Therefore, a consistent presence on social media is very important for maintaining charisma.

Charisma: A Learnable Skill

Often people view charisma as an innate quality that some people are just born with and others are not. Now that we have seen various factors and components of a charismatic person, we are well aware that these characteristics can be cultivated through dedication and commitment. Charisma is a combination of emotional, social, and communication abilities that makes a person more influential than others.

A few ways to cultivate the characteristics mentioned above, one needs to be mindful, self-aware, and open to developing emotional intelligence. As discussed previously, to be a charismatic person, one needs to understand the core components of a charismatic personality, develop emotional intelligence, learn the art of nonverbal communication, and cultivate self-confidence and effective communication.

Conclusion

A charismatic person is someone who seems influential and attractive to other people. Charisma can make people comfortable, motivate, and inspire them. While charisma might seem like an intrinsic quality, it is not. The science behind a charismatic personality involves various components and their cultivation, which might take time to be embedded. The core components are emotional expressiveness, enthusiasm, drive, eloquence, vision, self-confidence, and responsiveness. Charisma in the digital age is very different from charisma during a face-to-face interaction. It requires a different skill set to keep the people engaged like authentic communication, responsiveness, and community engagement.