Charisma Essay Example

Last month I had to present a speech about an invention. During this speech I had all the information I could possibly need and was ready to present it. When presenting I spoke in a monotone voice and it seemed like I was reading. Even though I had great information I didn't have any confidence, excitement or enough charm to pull in the audience. Had I been enthusiastic, loud, confident and charming it would have made my speech perfect. And that's what charisma is, “a natural compelling charm that can inspire devotion in others”(Merriam 1.)

Without self-confidence, it's almost impossible to be charismatic. I had a friend in middle school who was extremely nice and charming, unfortunately he had no self-confidence when it came to talking to people other than his small friend group. His confidence started building after joining sports. With his new earned confidence pairing perfectly with his charismatic personality he became popular and became a good public speaker on the debate team. 

Charisma requires confidence, not being cocky. For example, who gives off a more charming vibe. Let's say there are two successful businessmen, one of them is a confident, humble guy who shows off his success but doesn't brag about it, and the other is a guy who brags about his success and is cocky about it. No doubt about it, the humble guy is more charismatic and likable. 

One thing alone does not make someone charismatic. Another one of the most important aspects of charisma is the leadership role. If the person is a good leader they can use their charm in the most positive ways. By using their leadership skills they can easily inspire and motivate others to be the best version of themselves. For example, Martin Luther King is one of the most well-known charismatic leaders. With his amazing leadership skills, he led the civil rights movement, inspired millions of people to protest the racial injustice, and led America to become the best version of itself.

There is one more aspect to charisma and that is passion. I would say my mother is a very charismatic person because she uses her passion for running to sway people's ideas. For example, a few months ago I had to decide between two sports, long-distance running and cross-country running. My mother loves long-distance running and has a great passion for it. When I asked her what she would choose, she talked about the joys she finds in long-distance running in a compelling way. Her passion for distance running and her charismatic speech swayed me over to the distance side.

Confidence, passion, and leadership are all necessary components of charisma. Not only one of these components will do, but they must also all be used together to become a charismatic person.  A charismatic personality is a wonderful skill to have and is valued high in the workspace. Many things that were thought to be impossible would have never happened without the compelling and inspiring leadership of charismatic people.