With charisma, it is possible to spontaneously arouse the attention and sympathy of others. This contributes to the image you project to others. Your charm is your main asset! And while some people radiate natural charisma, it is something that can be worked on and developed. Learn how, and boost your charisma with ten simple tips.
#01. Take care of yourself
While good hygiene is of course essential, you need a little extra: don’t skip your hairstyle, and a bit of makeup to highlight your face.
Also take the time to dress yourself, by choosing elegant clothes that match your body shape, and not by grabbing the first T-shirt that comes along! Physical appearance is the first image we project to others, so it is important to take care of it if you want to make a good impression.
#02. Express yourself
By speaking loudly and clearly. The way we choose and use our words is an integral part of charisma. We will listen more spontaneously to a person who expresses themselves well, with ease and fluidity.
Speaking well can be learned, you just need to practice it day by day, by speaking in public as often as possible, and to hell with shyness!
#03. Develop your interests to boost your charisma
You could listen to a passionate person for hours. Read and cultivate yourself, especially in areas that appeal to you.
Your intellectual life will only be richer, and others will see it. They will enjoy listening to you talk (if you don’t overdo it, of course).
#04. Be more confident in yourself
A charismatic person impresses by giving off an impression of confidence. It is important to convey this image of confidence.
To start gaining more confidence, list your qualities as objectively as possible: this will help you see more clearly in yourself and appreciate your true value.
Also, get used to walking upright with your head held high – to look confident, don’t look at your feet!
You may be confident, but if you’re not perceived as such, it can hurt your charisma. It is not always easy to judge yourself in this regard, so a personality assessment can be very helpful. If you exude less confidence than you think, then you’re not alone, especially when it comes to speaking up in the workplace where we can all feel a little pressured at times.
Try to make your comments positive, as they always come across as more confident. Don’t hesitate to give a negative review, but try to match it with positive messages. Try to avoid “mistakes” in your speech and be brief in your choice of words. All of this contributes to the perception of self-confidence and, therefore, charisma.
To develop your charisma and your presence, you cannot ignore working on your self-image. Self-image, self-esteem, and self-confidence are linked. A good self-image leads to better self-esteem and good self-confidence. The image you have of yourself conditions the way you present yourself to the world. Conversely, your beliefs about your image and your appearance can pollute the way you see yourself. A poor self-image risks sabotaging your self-confidence and confusing the message you are trying to send.
What image do you have of yourself? What talents and skills do you think you have? Conversely, what negative beliefs do you hold about yourself? Do the messages conveyed by the image you give serve your projects and your objectives? If not, what would you like to change? Who are the leaders who inspire you? What can you borrow from them to improve your image? This is where your style comes in as it can truly boost your self-image and self-confidence. Allow yourself to truly reflect on how you present yourself to the world.
#05. Let yourself go
Laugh, sing, dance: in short, let yourself go a little! If you are too far behind, you risk going unnoticed. On the contrary, put yourself forward and don’t hesitate to express your emotions.
Others will feel that you are open to them, and they will get to know you better and appreciate your personality.
#06. Take responsibility for your choices and actions
Many people tend to spontaneously blame others. When we take responsibility and recognize our mistakes, we inspire respect.
It’s not making a serious mistake, but refusing to take responsibility for it!
#07. Listen
Listening skills are essential to maintaining good relationships with others. If they feel that you are attentive to their problems, they will be grateful.
At the same time, you will rise in their esteem! In addition, when we take the time to listen, we develop our capacity for empathy, an essential quality for maintaining relationships based on respect.
#08. Take care of your body language to develop your charisma
Stand up straight and avoid mannerisms like licking your lips or running your hands through your hair. Your nervousness will be too obvious, and talking to a stressed person… it’s stressful!
Your body and the way you move say a lot about your emotions: practice controlling the way they are expressed!
Whether you are sitting or standing, posture is an element of judgment on the part of those who observe you. A straight posture, beyond being the most recommended for your back, conveys much more self-confidence, optimism, and proactivity than any speech about yourself could do. To improve your posture, consider taking 5 to 10 minutes a day to practice in front of a mirror, striving to apply the right attitudes:
- Keep your head straight and your neck relaxed
- Place your shoulders back
- Tuck the abdomen
Once you have adopted this routine in all circumstances, and even when you are alone, you will find that you will feel more comfortable and at ease with your body in public.
#09. Reduce your stress to boost your charisma
You will be more confident and more outgoing by combating your anxieties. Very often, these have no reason to exist: they are simple apprehensions.
Learn to breathe and, why not, try yoga or meditation to gain better self-control and get into the habit of relaxing.
#10. Let it be known what you think
Give your opinion! A charismatic person is an interesting person, who has things to say, constructed and argued opinions.
Don’t hesitate to say what you think, your opinion is as valid as that of your neighbor.
Additionally, you will gain the respect of others by having the courage to stand up for your beliefs.
#11. Have a sense of humor
Few things make us appear more charismatic than being able to laugh. Okay, many jobs are built on professionalism, which means no joking around. Besides, few of us are natural comedians, blessed with all the wit and comedic timing we might need for a career on stage.
However, being able to make a joke or appreciate other people’s humor helps you in all sorts of social situations, whether at the office or after work, perhaps over a drink or two. Being able to laugh at yourself is a huge asset to improving your charisma, so try not to take yourself too seriously.
If you are the leader of a team or department, keep a professional distance and try not to joke too much. However, an occasional laugh will go a long way to your charismatic power.
#12. Improve your presence
Presence is one of the hardest things to achieve in personal development because it’s easy to overdo it. Having a presence in a social gathering or a work meeting is pretty much the same thing. Try to participate in debates, even if you are not at the center of them. This means speaking up for yourself, when appropriate, and putting yourself forward to some extent.
However, your personality may lead you to try to dominate proceedings and gain the upper hand. Charismatic people don’t make this mistake. Remember that having a presence means participating, not taking over. Sometimes having a presence can be as simple as offering a message of support for what is being proposed or discussed.
This means it’s not about turning up and looking at the clock, but considering what’s happening and being proactive in making your own, perhaps unique, contribution.
#13. Smile with your eyes
Smiling is one of the most formidable weapons for improving your charisma. Being able to smile kindly makes anyone more likable and emphatic.
The risk when you force yourself to appear more charismatic is that you smile all the time, inappropriately. To avoid this, stand in front of the mirror and try to smile as naturally as possible as if you were constantly talking to someone you love.
Once again, by adopting this daily routine you will see that you will feel more relaxed and confident, and at the same time, you will observe more receptivity from those around you.
#14. Subtly mime the gestures of your interlocutor
Despite what people try to make us believe, human beings prefer what resembles them. Our preference is more towards people who have the same tastes, the same options, and similar behaviors, rather than the opposite. Thus, and all the Neuro Linguistic Programming books will tell you, adopting the gestures or posture of your interlocutor can also help you gain empathy, provided, of course, that you do not crudely imitate the gestures of your interlocutor. the person you have in front of you.
Therefore, when you speak to someone, first observe their posture (position of the hands, back, legs) and gradually and subtly adopt these main attitudes.
Example: If this person suddenly crosses their hands, take a few seconds of pause and adopt the same position. The same way if the latter, while seated, were to move her body towards the table which separates you. Take a few seconds, or even a minute of waiting, and do the same.
You might think that this is a follower attitude, but on the contrary, it is an excellent way to positively influence the opinion of your interlocutor.
#15. Use the right gestures to illustrate your speech
The handshake was originally used to prove to our interlocutor that we were not armed. Today, it remains the instinct, which is why we are unconsciously more suspicious of people who do not show their hands when communicating.
So, to improve your charisma, consider accompanying your speech with gestures illustrating it. Here are a few :
- Use your fingers to list the different points mentioned
- Make a fist to show your determination
- Make a globe with your hands to illustrate a set
- Bring your hand closer to your chest to evoke a personal experience or a passionate aspect
Here are some examples of actions to adopt. However, take into consideration the different cultural codes of communication. A positive gesture in USA can be quite offensive on the other side of the world.
#16. Improve your “self-image” to develop your charisma
To develop your charisma and your presence, you cannot ignore working on your self-image. Self-image, self-esteem, and self-confidence are linked. A good self-image leads to better self-esteem and good self-confidence. The image you have of yourself conditions the way you present yourself to the world. Conversely, your beliefs about your image and your appearance can pollute the way you see yourself. A poor self-image risks sabotaging your self-confidence and confusing the message you are trying to send.
What image do you have of yourself? What talents and skills do you think you have? Conversely, what negative beliefs do you hold about yourself? Do the messages conveyed by the image you give serve your projects and your objectives? If not, what would you like to change? Who are the leaders who inspire you? What can you borrow from them to improve your image? This is where your style comes in as it can truly boost your self-image and self-confidence. Allow yourself to truly reflect on how you present yourself to the world.
