FIVE THINGS CHARISMATIC MANAGERS DO

 
In my research for my new book, “Charismatic Leadership”, I have found that there are many kinds of charisma, many different definitions of charisma, and many different ways that each of us can display charisma. And that’s part of the problem. For many of us, charisma seems somehow unattainable – gifted to a few lucky people who have it naturally in abundance. 
Not so. I believe charisma lies within all of us – and all we need to do to be more charismatic and effective as managers is to understand and learn the skills that will make us far more motivating as leaders.
My research says that charismatic leaders have five traits that make them charismatic. 
(A trait is defined as habitual patterns of behaviour, thought and emotion. Those habitual behaviours require skills if they are to be affective and effective. Each charisma trait has five key skills that charismatic leaders can deliver every day in observable behaviours.)
They are:

• authenticity; 
• personal power; 
• warmth; 
• drive; and 
• persuasiveness. 

These traits enable them to:

1. Win the trust of followers. To do this they need a set of skills that will help them deliver authenticity. Leaders are only seen to be authentic if they have the skills to show who they are, as well as to be consistently transparent and principled, and thereby generate trust with and among their followers.  

2. Command attention and win respect. For this, they need the skills that will help them develop personal power. Leaders who possess personal power have the skills that enable them to be magnetic and more ‘followable’ as a leader. 

3. Engage with followers and make them feel valued members of the team. To do this they need to develop the skills that will give them warmth, and a more affective presence. Leaders with warmth have the skills to bring out the best in others by making people feel great about themselves. 

4. Impart a sense of direction and urgency. To do this they need to have the skills to articulate a compelling vision and sense of purpose that will arouse the passion to deliver it. Their drive comes from a relentless focus on continuous improvement to achieve the goals. Leaders with drive have the skills to articulate a compelling cause, and the skills to align everyone to their cause. 

5. Connect with followers and enthuse them with the will to succeed. To do this, they need to develop their communication skills and become more persuasive. Leaders who are persuasive have the skills to hold high-quality conversations which transfer their passion for success to others. They also have the skills to encourage robust dialogue that powers innovation and progress. 

It is a blend of these five traits that makes the difference.
It is no good trying to become brilliant in only one of these areas. Managers who are strong in one of the skill sets, but weak in others, can actually be destructive as leaders. It is those leaders who are moderately good in all five who are most effective. 
A recent study shows that exceptionally charismatic people are more likely to be bad leaders. Those with moderate levels of charisma, says the research, are more effective at managing an organization. 
That’s good news for all of us – to be hugely more effective as a manager, we only need to be moderately good in each of the five charisma traits. To learn how, more details and tips are in my new book, “Charismatic Leadership”, out on February 3.
More details here: https://www.koganpage.com/product/charismatic-leadership-9781789660975

HOW TO POWER UP YOUR CHARISMA

Everyone is capable of developing charisma, because it stems from skills you can practise and apply. 
Charisma is not gifted to a special few – it lies within all of us, and all we have to do is understand and learn the skills that others will see as inspiring.
The skills of charisma will not only make you more inspiring, but you will also be more trustworthy, more magnetic, charming and influential. If you want to inspire your team to performance levels not even they thought they were capable of, the skills of charisma are pivotal to your success. All of these skills are soft skills, and soft skills are in short supply in business, yet easy to learn.
A small improvement in these charismatic soft skills of managers would make a huge difference to people’s engagement, motivation and efficiency. 
Be affective to be effective.
Of course, you need other skills too: technical skills, marketing skills or strategic planning skills. But the truth is, the managers who do best, and progress the most, are those who develop their soft skills. Yet too few companies invest anywhere near enough in this sort of skills training. So, the hard truth is that it’s up to you to find ways to get better. 
Charismatic leaders create extraordinary teams and achieve extraordinary results. For this, you need ‘affective charisma’, in order to have a great effect. (Affective describes something that has been influenced by emotions or is a result of emotion. Effective describes something that produces a desired result.) 
It doesn’t matter whether you lead a small team, a big department, a huge division or even a giant company. Affective charisma is about getting members of your team to go way beyond what they have to do, because they want to, because they care, and because they believe they personally can make a difference. ‘Affective charisma’ is emotional, and positively influences the emotions of others. The result of affective charisma is to have a better ‘effect’ on performance. 
Types of charismatic leaders.
There are charismatic leaders who are high on charm and can make us feel as if we are the most important people in their lives, and that they love our ideas and views. They listen well, they charm us and engage with us, they respect us and appreciate us. They find ways to include us and make us feel we belong. They index highly for affective presence and warmth. 
There are others whose charisma comes from being passionate about a particular cause, and we are swept up and amazed by their passion and their drive. They have a clear vision, and they show us how we can help, and how our strengths can help them achieve the impossible. Their charisma comes from their cause, and the unwavering passion they have to achieve it. They are driven.
Other leaders attract us by being hugely transparent, articulate and compelling about the values that drive their behaviours, searingly honest about how they see the world, and themselves. They ooze integrity. They are committed. They encourage trust and trusting teams, and they attract us because they are so authentic. 
Still others can be compelling communicators, who dazzle us with their articulate views. They have a way of connecting with us and relating to us in terms we understand. They focus on issues we are concerned about. 
They tell thought-provoking stories that move us to action. They index highly for persuasiveness. 
And, finally, there are those who command a room simply by standing in it. Their very presence attracts our attention, because of the way they hold themselves, the way they dress, or the powerful and assertive body language they use. They are always positive, they are optimistic and give us hope, and their energy is contagious. You would give them high marks for personal power. 
What’s the shape of your charisma?
These are the five traits of charismatic leaders – authenticity, personal power, warmth, drive and persuasiveness. Each of these traits requires a set of skills to be able to deliver them consistently and well.
For example, authentic leaders have integrity, and practice it daily in the close quarter combat of business. They are clear about their values, and so is everyone around them. Managers with personal power have a great presence, and they practice positivity and are consistently energetic. Warm managers are great listeners, persuasive leaders are excellent conversationalists and storytellers, and driven leaders unite people around a compelling cause.
These are just some of the skills I have identified and explained in my new book, “Charismatic Leadership”, out on February 3.
In this book you will be able to test your own charisma and identify the shape of your charisma, and what you need to do to improve it and become more effective.
I have had literally thousands of people taking an interest in my views on charisma, so I can’t wait for publication day to give them more of what they are asking for. More details here: https://www.koganpage.com/product/charismatic-leadership-9781789660975
@KPBusinessMgmt

WHY YOU MUST BE MORE CHARISMATIC

If you lead or manage people, and you want to achieve outstanding results, the thing you most need to develop is your leadership charisma.
Sadly, many managers I speak to just don’t believe they are capable of having charisma. Nor are they aware of the business benefits of charismatic leadership. That’s because they have completely the wrong idea about what charisma is, and how to achieve it.
I’ll bet you’ve met or seen charismatic people, and they’ve filled a room or stage with their presence, lighting up everyone around them, infecting them with enthusiasm and warmth. Those people have a huge presence. They radiate personality and strength. They have a cause and you can feel their passion for it.  They focus on you with a laser-like intensity, and you feel suddenly like you are the most interesting and important person in the world. Their charisma is contagious, and long after they have left, you still feel the energy of their presence and enthusiasm.
You’re missing a major opportunity…
Oh no, not me, you say. I can’t be like that. So you don’t bother. And therein lies a major missed opportunity. If you were to try, and if you were to become just a little more charismatic, it could have a big impact on how people see you as a leader. In today’s world we need charisma more than ever.

Some hard facts about soft skills

A lack of soft skills could be costing the UK billions a year in lost productivity. Yet soft skills are often undervalued, and sometimes ignored, as we seek to progress in our careers.
There are some hard facts you must absorb about these soft skills – which you ignore at your peril.
First, and most obvious, is that you won’t achieve much as a manager if you don’t sharpen these skills, and as a consequence you won’t progress. It is that simple. It doesn’t matter how senior you are. Enhancing your soft skills is the real route to leadership success.
Perhaps I am being over simplistic, but it seems to me that if you don’t achieve as a manager, your team won’t succeed, which means your company won’t succeed, which means your country won’t succeed.
You think I am exaggerating?
Just this week, hopes that we were getting on top of Britain’s chronic problem of low productivity were dealt a severe blow by official figures from the Office of National Statistics. Productivity statistics showed that this key measure of national prosperity has fallen for the first time since 2015.
While almost every advanced nation is struggling with stagnant productivity, the issue is particularly bad in Britain where there has been no growth in almost a decade. As a result, employees in this country must work about a day and a half longer than their German rivals to achieve the same economic output.
Productivity is key to living standards.
This really matters, because productivity is key to improving living standards. Gains in productivity mean we can produce more with the same resources and reduce costs. Those savings can then be shared in lower prices for consumers and higher wages for workers, without having a negative effect on the profitability of companies.
The UK’s productivity has fallen by 0.5% over the first quarter of 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics. This means that the country’s productivity has now fallen below the output per hour achieved in the final quarter of 2007, and a fall of 0.5% is also below the 1994-2007 labour productivity growth average, representing a worrying trend of stagnating productivity growth.
Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, says this latest set of data will be a worry for those looking to solve the productivity puzzle that has dogged the UK since the start of the economic downturn.
“It’s alarming, but perhaps expected given the current political backdrop of Brexit and weak leadership, that the UK’s recent trend of productivity growth has ended,” she said. “Action needs to be taken before this becomes a downward trend. Investment in skills and management training is a crucial step to boosting productivity. Poor management is costing our economy £84bn each year, and Britain lags other countries when it comes to people skills. Indeed, four out of five British bosses are ‘accidental managers’ who’ve never been trained.”
Soft skills, says the CMI, are particularly crucial for managers, because they are the basis for leaders to effectively give directions to people with a persuasive flair, and influence their team to strategically pursue the organisation’s goals and objectives. Again and again, the answer comes down to two things: professional leadership that’s informed by integrity and vision; and genuine employee engagement so that everyone is inspired to contribute to improvement.
Need more hard data? How about this?
I’ve recently read an interesting report that says that soft skills, those very human interpersonal skills around communication and empathy, contribute £88 billion a year to the UK economy – a contribution that is expected to rise to £109 billion over the next five years.
97% of employers say soft skills are important to business success.
But the UK is definitely struggling with them, and by 2020 over half a million UK workers will be significantly held back by a lack of such skills. These were the findings of economic research commissioned by McDonald’s. It quoted 97% of employers saying they believed that soft skills were important to their current business success, while over half said skills like communication and teamwork were more important than academic results. Yet three-quarters of them believed there was a ‘gap’ of such skills in the UK workforce.
The research also revealed that UK employees say they struggle to sell their soft skills. One in five said they would not feel confident describing their soft skills to an employer and more than half (54%) have never included soft skills on their CV. It would suggest there is a lack of value placed on such skills in business and society as a whole.
Soft skills of leaders contribute enormously to engagement levels of employees, and therefore to productivity. Engaged employees with great soft skills give customers a far better experience, creating more loyal customers, and more profitable companies.
Soft skills are not just important when facing external customers and clients. They are equally important when it comes to interacting with colleagues. Soft skills relate to how you work with others. Employers value soft skills because they enable people to function and thrive in teams and in organisations as a whole. A productive and healthy work environment depends on soft skills.
However, it is not just an issue for customer service orientated companies, but also for professional service organisations. A survey of CFO’s found that 55% considered the biggest challenge in recruiting accountancy professionals was finding applicants with the necessary soft skills beyond the normal competences and qualifications expected.
Additionally, a UK Commission for Employment and Skills study confirmed the increasing importance and demand for soft skills in the Health and Social Care; Professional and Business Services; Retail & Wholesale; Creative Industries, Media and Entertainment; and Manufacturing sectors.
The CBI places particular emphasis on the soft (employability) skills of graduates and other young people. “Businesses want graduates who not only add value but who have the skills to help to transform their organisation in the face of continuous and rapid economic and technological change. All graduates need to be equipped with employability skills. Employability covers a broad range of non-academic or softer skills and abilities which are of value in the workplace. It includes the ability to work in a team; a willingness to demonstrate initiative and original thought; self-discipline in starting and completing tasks to deadline.”
Rather call soft skills, “professional” skills.
My take is that we give too little respect to these essential skills when we call them “soft” and imply that they’re optional. I prefer to think of them as professional skills, not soft skills.
Leadership skills. Interpersonal skills. The skills of charisma and listening, storytelling and visioning, persuading and aligning. These are crucial because what actually separates thriving organizations from struggling ones are the difficult-to-measure attitudes, processes and perceptions of the people who do the work.
If this is true, then you’d imagine that managers are constantly engaged in using their soft skills in uplifting and inspiring conversations with their employees?
Not so. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Lou Solomon recently reported that 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with their employees. The only surprising thing about this statistic is how low it is. I’ve been doing research into the subject for years now and I know that it is true that the majority of our managers (who are well-paid, well-trained and integral to our success) are uncomfortable doing this essential part of their job!
What about the next generation of managers coming out of the universities? In a recent survey, the Graduate Management Admission Council, who own the GMAT exam, reported that although MBA’s were strong in analytical aptitude, quantitative expertise, and information-gathering ability, they were sorely lacking in other critical areas that employers find equally attractive: strategic thinking, written and oral communication, leadership, and adaptability.
When I interviewed more than 80 CEOs for my first book, the language of leaders, I was seeking to find out what soft skills they had learned over their careers to help them be more inspiring. At the top of the list they said was learning how to use your passion and your personal values to inspire people to great performance. You had to act with integrity, be authentic and know how to truly connect with people at an emotional level. They said that good communication was passionate communication.
Being able to articulate and inspiring vision of the future, a compelling purpose, and a set of values that created a common culture were essential to being a great leader. But none of this could happen unless leaders were focused on their audience, both in terms of listening to them and in crafting relevant messages. They said that leaders needed to be visible, constantly on the road and in the corridors, engaging with people in an on-going conversation. they have to concentrate on learning the soft skills that would enable them to inspire their people. It was no longer enough to have “domain excellence” (experience and skills related to the marketplace you serve) – the most important job of a leader was to get tremendous things done through other people.
Take time to learn and improve your soft skills.
Do you want some good news? Like any skill, soft skills can be learned. Would you like even better news? Boosting your soft skills not only gives you a leg up on a new job or a promotion, but these skills also have obvious applications in all areas of your life, both professional and personal.
So, what can you do to improve the key soft skills that will make you a better leader?
• Take a Course: Look at areas such as effective written and verbal communication, teamwork, cultural understanding and psychology. Take a writing or public speaking course to boost your communication skills.
•Read more – buy books on the subject, search the Internet for everything you can find and work hard to put what you learn into practice.
•Seek a mentor: don’t be shy – speak to people that you admire and asked them to help you. Better still, employ a coach who can help you fast track your skills.
• Take this leadership skills test (https://theleadershipcommunication.com/the-test/) which is based on more than a hundred interviews with CEOs, as well as research involving 3000 managers and 6000 employees. Mark yourself out of 10 in each of these areas and take action to improve.

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