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The 2 Powerful Charisma Traits You Need To Enhance Your Leadership

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Some leaders possess an inexplicable draw. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something about them is irresistible.

That’s charisma at work.

Described by the ancient Greeks as the “gift of grace,” charisma is that seemingly elusive elixir possessed by the world’s most-liked and admired leaders.

Yet all of us can learn to be more charismatic, says Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.

The key? Learning how to master your cues, the powerful nonverbal, verbal, and vocal social signals humans send to one another.

Van Edwards cites a groundbreaking study from Princeton University that found highly charismatic people demonstrate a unique blend of two key traits: warmth and competence. Those with both signal trust and credibility and make people see them as friendly, smart, and collaborative.

Unfortunately, says Van Edwards, most of us have an imbalance between these two traits, negatively affecting how others perceive us.

Someone with too much warmth and not enough competence can come across as friendly but not always impressive; heavy competence without much warmth is viewed as intelligent but cold and highly suspicious. Worse, those who rank low in warmth and competence are more likely to be dismissed and undervalued.

Though both traits are equally important, Van Edwards notes, “if you can’t showcase your warmth, people won’t believe in your competence.”

Here’s how Van Edwards says to balance your warmth and competence cues to up your charisma quotient:

To enhance your warmth

Highly competent, but people feel you’re unapproachable? Try adding a few of these warmth cues to the mix to signal more trust, collaboration, and openness:

  • Titling - Tilting your head shows interest, curiosity, and appeasement. (Consider adding a photo to your LinkedIn profile with a slight head tile and genuine smile to up your warmth cues.)
  • Nodding - Affirmative nodding signals and triggers empathy.
  • Eyebrow Raise - Raising your eyebrow shows interest and curiosity and captures attention.
  • Smiling - Genuine smiles spread and create joy, helping others feel happy too. And those that take over half a second (called “savor smiles” by Van Edwards) are the best.
  • Touch - A subtle and strategic touch (think: handshake, high five, fist bump, pat on the back) increases trust.
  • Mirroring - You wow others and earn their respect by meeting them where they are, subtly matching their behaviors. Mirroring positive body language signals alignment and agreement.

To increase your competence

If you’re naturally warm, and you know you’ll be interacting with someone higher in competence, be sure to incorporate some of these cues to boost your presence:

  • Power Posture - Expansive posture (standing up straight with your feet apart, for example) helps you look and feel more powerful. And a confident stance enables you to inspire confidence.
  • Flexed lower eyelid - Narrowed eyes (also called a “smize” by Van Edwards) signal intensity, focus, contemplation, and scrutiny.
  • Steeple - Palms facing with fingertips gently touching is a universal display of confident contemplation and convinces others of your commitment.
  • Explanatory gestures - Purposeful, confident hand gestures (think holding up fingers while counting or emphasizing your message with a softly closed hand and thumb pointing) help others understand your message better.
  • Palm flash - When you flash your palms, people pay attention.

Other nonverbal charisma cues to try

In addition to warmth and competence cues, Van Edwards suggests incorporating these highly charismatic nonverbal cues:

  • Leaning - Leaning in is the fastest way to look and feel interested and engaged.
  • Fronting - If you want someone to feel heard, accepted, and respected, turn toward them.
  • Anti-blocking - To inspire openness, open up nonverbally, removing any barriers (crossed arms, a laptop, or a podium).
  • Space Smarts - Physical distance equals emotional distance. If you’re too close too soon and you’ll make others nervous; too far, and you’ll have a more challenging time connecting. The sweet spot is about 1-1/2 to 5 feet from someone.
  • Gaze - Eye contact is essential for connection. Plus gaze is the ultimate attention cue; we look to where someone is gazing to understand what is most important.

Cues that erode your charisma

While under-signaling is a problem, so is unintentionally signaling anxiety, shame, and guilt cues. Watch for and try to avoid these red flag cues:

  • Distancing - Things like stepping or leaning back, turning away, or checking your phone when you’re with others create emotional distance making you less charismatic.
  • Self-comfort - Rubbing your arms or neck, cracking your knuckles, or touching your nose distract and detract from your charisma, making you look anxious or unsure.
  • Blocking - Blocking our body (arms crossed over the chest), mouth (hand over mouth), or eyes (shielding eyes with a hand) makes us feel protected but signals close-mindedness.
  • Shame touch - Putting both hands to your forehead and looking down signals shame and nervousness.
  • Bothered face - Be aware of what cues your face sends at rest and avoid accidentally signaling anger, sadness, and contempt.

By upping your awareness, understanding, and usage of nonverbal cues, you’ll learn how to be highly charismatic in every interaction.

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