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What makes a leader great? Does every leader have to be charismatic to excel? These are some of the questions many leaders ask themselves. Great leaders possess certain qualities that other people admire. Due to this fact, they usually have a large following.
Do you think you can become a great leader one day? Some people believe that leaders are born, but the truth is you can have anything that someone else has. Nature is neutral. Nature doesn’t care who you are and where you came from. So long as you do the right thing, everything will work out for you.
Leaders are made, not born. Some of the best leaders we know today came from poor backgrounds. Some were the sons and daughters of immigrants, peasant farmers and laborers. But they managed to rise to the top.
To become charismatic, you have to be a leader first. You can train yourself to be charismatic by understanding the top secrets of successful charismatic leaders. Some of the charismatic leaders everyone looks up to include Barrack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr to name a few. Let’s discuss the top qualities that these leaders possess for you to be charismatic too.
1. Confidence
Confidence is the foundation of success as a leader. You cannot lead people if you express self-doubt most of the time. Your followers will be attracted by the confidence you exude. To be confident, you have to be comfortable in your skin. You also must be competent in whatever field you plan on being a leader in. Competence builds confidence. For example, if you want to be a leader in business, then you’d better know how business works.
Confidence also involves being optimistic and focusing on the bright side of life and work. You have to be positive when everyone else is negative. As a leader, you have to solve problems, not complain about them. You cannot solve problems effectively with a negative attitude. Confidence is about being calm especially when things go haywire.
2. Creativity
Successful charismatic leaders think outside the box. They’re not afraid to go beyond their limits. Creativity allows you to see opportunities when unexpected problems and challenges arise. Creative leaders love changing and transforming their environment to improve productivity and performance. They inspire others to do more and become better.
3. Vision
Charismatic leaders are always focused on the future and making it better. The dedication to their dream makes inspires and motivates their team to perform better. Creating a bright future and describing it to your team will empower the people who look up to you.
Seeing something that does not exist is true power. You can improve everything in your organization by creating a clear vision and communicating it to you’re the members of your team.
4. Determination
Being a leader is not easy. You need to have the drive and purpose to achieve your vision. The bigger the vision you have in mind, the more determined you should be. Determination involves creating specific goals and encouraging your team to do their best to accomplish them. You have to be focused on the results you and your team are bringing to the table.
When things get tough, the more determined you should be. Being committed to realizing goals together with your team will put you on the side of success.
5. Communication
If you can’t communicate clearly, you cannot become a leader. Clear communication is what makes a charismatic leader. How you communicate will either make your team pay attention to you or ignore you. You cannot influence a team that ignores you.
Communication is the foundation of success and achievement in life. The ability to speak confidently in front of large groups is an indispensable prerequisite for success as a leader.
6. Listening
Charismatic leaders are great listeners. Listening is much more important than talking. By listening, you will have the opportunity to understand what your team is facing and the things you can do to improve the situation.
Listening also allows you to gather important information that is linked to your vision so that you can achieve it easily. When listening to your team, you should avoid getting distracted or fidgeting. Engaging with your team through listening is the key to success.
7. Self-improvement
Charismatic leaders are always improving themselves to ensure their team keeps moving forward. They read books, attend conferences and seminars, network and practice what they learn. As the popular saying goes, leaders are readers.
You cannot lead if your team is ahead of you. Reading on important subjects such as negotiation, effective time management, planning and leadership will help you improve your skills and engage with your team.
8. High expectations
Charismatic leaders always expect the best from themselves and their teams. They set the bar high every time out. You have to have a dream to make a dream come true. A high expectation will inspire your team to perform at their best every time. Low expectations are the causes of failure and dissatisfaction in life.
How to cultivate charisma
As we’ve seen, charisma is not something special people are born with. It is a trait that has to be cultivated continuously. You can cultivate charisma by continuously improving yourself by reading books, watching videos and attending seminars on a regular basis.
Most importantly, you have to practice what you learn every day. Communicating the organization’s goals and objectives on a regular basis with your team will inspire them to work harder and be loyal to the organization.
Conclusion
Today, everyone aspires to become a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders are people who make a difference in the lives of their followers. Charisma is a trait. And like all other traits, it has to be cultivated on a regular basis.
You can only inspire and motivate your employees to work harder and follow you if you are charismatic. Putting to practice what you learn on a regular basis will greatly improve your productivity and performance as well as that of your team.
Start your journey to success today by exercising the top eight secrets we’ve discussed in this article. You have a whole life to win.
Kurt Walker is an editor and copywriter at Essay Writing Land, but he is also a part-time contributor at proessaywriting.com and assignmentmasters. He is a passionate self-improvement author who frequently writes about topics such as productivity and education. If he is not working, you can find Kurt bowling with his friends