Is charisma a mask for incompetence?

In business, it’s not uncommon to admire a colleague or a manager due to their charisma. Those people who get us to endorse their ideas… quite often through the use of this power alone… and to the point of us becoming blinded by their charms. Could it be that in certain situations, their appealing nature is used to mask a lack of skills? Do we tend to excuse charismatic people? Author, Lionel Bellenger, helps us answer these questions.

“When they walk into a room, you immediately notice. As soon as they start speaking in a meeting, everyone listens…” You’ve undoubtedly heard or even said this once about a charismatic person, reinforcing the legend about them. We tend to see charisma as a superpower, a sort of innate gift. However, when we consider what charisma truly is, we quickly realize that it’s more of an intellectual construct. In fact, there are several angles and perspectives of what this trait entails, depending on the individual.

What defines a charismatic person?

To outline the most accurate definition possible, Bellenger starts by getting us to rule out debased ideas around it. “I completely disagree with people who reduce charisma to oral qualities – which is often the case in business. The ability to smooth-talk, charm, or even sweet-talk, does not equate to charisma! However, this is often misunderstood.” Instead, their presence, influence, and persuasiveness are the most immediate manifestations of a certain level of charisma. Yet, these are far from being the only elements to consider according to Bellenger. In fact, he believes that for a person to be charismatic, they must also meet other more demanding criteria.

1. The desire to share

“Charisma goes hand in hand with a fundamental desire to transmit knowledge and expertise.” This can be seen with TV chefs, whose brilliant careers are built on a desire to pass on knowledge, notably on cooking shows and at culinary schools. As a counterexample, Bellenger points to people in business who are at the opposite end of the spectrum. “Throughout my career, I’ve come across experts who were really powerful, highly specialized in their fields but not charismatic at all. Simply because they felt no desire to share! This wasn’t what interested them about their work.”

2. Consistency

“Charisma is a long-term thing. It can’t be someone who succeeds in giving one single speech and then disappears,” Bellenger says. This is another misconception about charisma. “It’s a quality that’s developed over time, you’re not born with it. Charisma is primarily the product of life experiences.” A principle that holds true even for younger people.

“Recently, I was amazed by the charisma of a student aged just 22. A person who was eloquent – among other things: forthcoming, incisive, capable of handling all situations for her peers… After talking to her, I learned she’d always been a class representative since elementary school and that she’d been heavily involved in the volunteering sector. In a nutshell, there’s no magic formula: it’s our experiences that shape our degree of charisma.”

3. Alignment

In other words, coherency between your beliefs and your actions. This may seem basic, and yet, in both the personal and professional spheres, people rarely do what they say they will. “A young manager who, as soon as they start at a company, diagnoses an issue and then implements specific actions to respond to it is going to turn heads. This is somewhat the start of charisma,” Bellenger says.

4. That extra something

This is what makes the difference. That extra something can be expressed in multiple ways as illustrated by Bellenger. He points to major business leaders having a great ability to listen as well as being able to lead. Famous sports players and world record holders who exude courage, confidence, and a different energy to their peers, who are equally as qualified. Also, famous actors who breathe a certain spirit into their activist endeavors. “The ingredients that make up charismatic people are different, but there is, beyond talent, a trademark, a courage, an energy that sets them apart from others.”

If we spot these criteria, then charisma is merited, but what effect does this quality have on others? Does it weaken our critical mind, which likes to be charmed without objecting?

Don’t be fooled too easily

The issue when we encounter a colleague or manager that we deem to be charismatic (charisma only exists in the eye of the beholder) is that we become a little mesmerized. Dazzled by them, we can quickly lack judgment when faced with this unique persona. There’s a fine line between admiration and overlooking a person’s professional flaws. However, Bellenger is keen to reassure us that a truly charismatic individual can’t be incompetent in their field. It’s the opposite in fact, given that their charisma is built on exceptional competence.

However, he does admit that how these people charm us can cause us to let our guard down. “It’s true that we’re more forgiving to people who fascinate us, a special treatment that we’d show less of towards an ordinary colleague.” Especially in the professional world, we tend to overrate this quality. “On a group or company level, an individual deemed to be charismatic is seen as standing out from the rest. It’s a special talent that the organization takes pride in having among its ranks. But exercise caution with this skill, as it’s important to ask what this exactly brings to others.”

More than charisma, it’s the seductive aspect of these individuals that we have to be wary of, Bellenger explains, given that this is what numbs our critical thinking thanks to beautiful speeches that charm us. An onset of influence that can mask the individual’s professional shortcomings, or worse, help them to manipulate us. In extreme cases, this influence can lead to a sectarian drift with the boss turning into a guru.

“I’m thinking of theatrical characters such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Pathological persuaders who use their influence in an unhealthy way,” Bellenger warns. Regardless of whether these charmers are toxic or not, how can we protect ourselves, distinguish them from charismatic people, and avoid being duped? “You have to ask yourself: What is this person giving me? Do they inspire me? Are their actions in line with their thoughts? Are they working for the group or just for themselves?”

The risk when we admire someone is that we create an emotional dependency, which we have to try and overcome to avoid hero-worshiping. “Of course, being inspired or admiring others has countless virtues, but you should always seek to maintain your independence and do everything to preserve your critical mind.” To finish, Bellenger ends by calling on charismatic people in open spaces to also act responsibly. “Reputations travel fast in business. These people are aware they benefit from this asset. It’s up to them to use this influence over others in a beneficial way.”

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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