“We need a charismatic leader” - this is how the job profiling of a managerial position often begins. However, as it is always easy to say, to find such a person and to attract to a new company is challenging job and requires strong base of recruiter’s experience. 

Charismatic, means what?

The definition is not strict or obvious, but most often what is meant by is a person with exceptional personal characteristics, including: excellent communication skills – not only verbal part , powerfulness in persuasion, courage in taking responsibility, inspiring others,  being trusted and respected by employees. 

Charisma, however, or perhaps above all, is something else, namely a specific type of charm, a mixture of courage and positive energy with strength and emotional peace that such a person can convey to others and at the same time make them follow his/her example.

Manager for special tasks

A charismatic manager is often the last and the only chance in companies where the situation is hopeless, where the management staff has been unsuccessfully trying to introduce changes for a long time, and subsequent managers have failed to cope with this task. In majority cases  the staff begins to become demotivated and devoid of willingness to act. Only introducing a charismatic leader can dramatically and positively  change the atmosphere and increase the chances of dealing with the troubles and future success.

Recognition

Since charisma is first of all about personality and not competences or skills, and so to some extend seems to be easier recognizable and noticeable during the recruitment interview. Still, to distinguish negative manipulating managerial types of managers from charismatic ones, requires recognizing subtleties. This is at the interview stage. Also, the real recruitment challenge appears earlier, at the stage of the first encouraging phone calls to the job candidate. Even though charismatic people are open, have a cognitive attitude and are not afraid of risks, on the other hand, they most often work in the current place, because it allows them to act in accordance with  passion, they fit perfectly with the team, which they do not want to disappoint (by leaving), they are not discouraged by the adversities they encounter in their current workplace.

Lighting a fire

To attract a charismatic person, you need special offers and tasks from the organizations of potential new employer, but also skillful presentation of the offer by the professionals conducting the recruitment talks, so that the candidate got excited about the idea of changing his professional place and was open to discuss a new job proposal.

What does charisma mean to you? Have you had charismatic bosses? Do you perceive yourself as charismatic (why?)

Joanna Dulniak
Managing Partner Poland