Luckily for most Power Players, the charisma thing comes naturally.
Charisma is a bit like that old saying about pornography: ‘I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it’.
Power Players know when to use the charisma card because they were born with quite a bit of it. They understand that when there are no answers and no clear path, a little charisma can go a long way.
One of my favourite charisma moments was watching a chief executive cross the street on a rainy day and share his umbrella with a would-be client who was about to get drenched. The gesture oozed charisma and the way he gently took her briefcase in his hand to keep it from getting soaked made it (almost) a Hollywood moment. Thoroughly charismatic and I know that to this day, she thought so, too.
