I've watched Olivia Fox Cabane's talk on Charisma on several occasions and I enjoyed it every time. In our line of work, charisma certainly comes in handy…
You'll be happy to know that you don't have to be born with it; charisma is something you can acquire with practice. Olivia gives us the scoop in this video and in her book "The Charisma Myth".
I'll leave you with an excerpt from the video, in hopes that you will listen to the whole thing:
"Realize that giving people your full presence is one of the most effective ways to make them feel that they’re the center of the universe. And guess what? Charisma is not just how you make people feel about you, it’s also how you make them feel about themselves.
In the heated London election of 1886, William Gladstone was running against Benjamin Disraeli for the post of Prime Minister to the British Empire. Now, this was the Victorian era, so whoever won, was going to rule half the world. And in the very last week before the election, both men happened to take the same young lady out to dinner on consecutive evenings.
Naturally, the press asked her what impressions the rivals had made upon her? She said: 'After dining with Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest men in England. After dining with Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest women in England'. Guess who won the election?
It was the man who made others feel intelligent and fascinating — it was Benjamin Disraeli. I often tell my clients: Don’t try to impress them. Let them impress you and they will love you for it. So, that is what charismatic presence can achieve.
Presence, once again, is the core component of charisma, the foundation upon which all else is built. Together with presence, power, and warmth combine to create charismatic magnetism."
Mirela "m&m" Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Connection
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