What makes charismatic people more likely to succeed?

Most successful people in business and leadership are often described as “charismatic”.

But what does charisma actually mean? How can we measure the level of charisma a person has? What does charisma look like?

Studies show that most people, including kids as young as 5 years old, can tell from a person’s face if they have charisma or not — even before we meet them or hear them speak.

Charismatic people have a certain “magic” in their voice, behaviour and body language that gives them the edge when it comes to influencing people. And it works in every sphere of life; politics, education, business, religious belief, etc.

It’s no surprise that all the major movements, transformations, and revolutions in history have been led by very charismatic people.

Mahatma Ghandi, Jesus Christ, the Prophet Muhammad, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama are a few examples.

So, does this mean that some people are naturally born with charisma and are destined to succeed in life, while other people who are not “charismatic” are doomed to second place?

In this eye-opening TED Talk, John Antonakis shares the insights he’s learned from many years of studying charisma.

Happy viewing!