Compelling People
How does charisma work, and how can we capitalize on it to develop our own influence?
Author(s): John Neffinger, Matthew Kohut
Publisher: Hudson Street Press
Date of publication: 2013
Manageris opinion
Is it possible to develop the same personal magnetism as Bill Clinton or Oprah Winfrey? Where does this natural gift for influence originate? In fact, there’s nothing magical about this phenomenon. It’s linked to the way we instantaneously form judgments about those around us. We unconsciously analyze a multitude of signals—particularly visual—that they convey to us. The way they hold themselves, their facial expressions, and the way they move are actively deciphered and interpreted by our subconscious in order to catalog them. Based on the latest research on the subject, the authors of Compelling People explain how this phenomenon works and how to capitalize on it more fully. We learn in particular that we instantaneously judge our counterparts on two dimensions: power (the basis of respect) and warmth (which underlies affection). The most charismatic leaders can balance their gestures to exploit both registers. Chapter 3 specifically provides an inventory of the gestures that matter most.
