Words of Wisdom From Brian Tracy

The Power of Charisma
10 tips to attract others to you.
By Brian Tracy

Charisma begins largely in the mind of the beholder.

And lasting charisma depends upon the person you are, more than the things you do. You can build your charisma—and change people's perceptions of you—by utilizing the 10 great powers of personality.

1. Power of purpose. Men and women with charisma have a clear vision of themselves, where they're going, and what they're trying to achieve. Leaders know exactly what they want and what they have to do to get it. They plan their work and work their plan.

You can increase your charisma by setting clear goals for yourself, making plans to achieve them, and working on your plans with discipline every day—and you begin attracting the people and opportunities necessary to make those goals a reality.

2. Power of self-confidence. Men and women with charisma strongly believe in themselves and in what they are doing. Self-confidence is often demonstrated through courage. People are naturally attracted to those who have an unshakable belief in their ability to rise above circumstances and attain their goals.

One of the ways you demonstrate self-confidence is by assuming people naturally like you, accept you, and want to do business with you. For example, one of the most powerful ways to close a sale is simply assuming that the prospect has decided to purchase the product or service, and then go on to wrap up the details.

3. Power of enthusiasm. The more excited you are about accomplishing your goals, the more excited others will be about helping you. Emotions are contagious. Every great man or woman has been totally committed to a noble cause and, as a result, has attracted the support and encouragement of others?in many cases, thousands or millions of others.

4. Power of expertise. The more knowledgeable you are, the more people will perceive you as charismatic. Others will admire your knowledge because of the impact it can have on their lives. This is also the power of excellence: Being recognized by others as an outstanding performer in your field. Men and women who do their jobs extremely well and who are recognized for the quality of their work are those who naturally attract the help and support of others.

5. Power of preparation. Whether you are calling on a prospect, meeting with your boss, giving a public talk, or making any other kind of presentation, when you are well-prepared, it becomes clear to everyone. The careers of many young people are put on the fast-track as a result of their coming to an important meeting well-prepared.

Whether it takes you hours or even days, take the time to get on top of your subject. Be thoroughly prepared so nothing will faze you. Often, this effort will do more to generate the respect of others than anything else.

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6. Power of self-reliance. The most successful men and women in America are self-reliant. They look to themselves for the answers to their questions and problems. They never complain, and they never explain. They take complete ownership of projects. They volunteer for duties and step forward and accept responsibility when things go wrong.

The self-reliant leader takes charge and accepts complete responsibility for getting the job done. This enhances your sense of control and power and attracts others to help you.

7. Power of image. Intrapersonal image, or self-image, is the way you think about yourself in any situation. This self-image impacts the way you perform and how others perceive you.

Then there is interpersonal image. This is the image you convey to others. The way you look on the outside influences the way people respond to you. Successful men and women are very aware of how they are coming across to others. They take a good deal of time to think through every aspect of their external appearance to assure that it is helping them rather than hurting them.

8. Power of character. Charismatic men and women invariably have high values and principles. They are extremely realistic and honest with themselves and others. They have clear ideals, and they continually aspire to live up to them. They speak well of people, and they guard their conversation, knowing that everything that they say is being remembered and recorded. They are aware that everything they do is contributing to the formation of others' perceptions of them.

When you decide to act consistent with high principles, you are admired and respected by others—and you'll attract the help and support of people you admire. You activate the law of attraction in the very best way.

9. Power of self-discipline. Men and women of charisma are highly controlled. They have a tremendous sense of inner calm and outer resolve. They are well-organized, and they demonstrate willpower and determination in everything they do.

The very act of being well-organized and having clear objectives demonstrates your discipline and control. It causes people to respect and admire you. When you then exert your self-discipline by persisting in the face of difficulties, your charisma rating goes up.

Men and women who achieve leadership positions, who are perceived as charismatic, possess indomitable willpower and the ability to persist in a good cause until success is achieved.

10. Power of result-orientation. In the final analysis, people ascribe charisma to those men and women who they feel can most enable them to achieve important goals or objectives.

Men and women who make great sales, or who establish admirable sales records, develop charisma in the minds and hearts of their coworkers and superiors. They are spoken about in the most positive way. Men and women who are responsible for companies or departments that achieve high levels of profitability are also perceived as charismatic. They develop what is called the "halo effect." They are perceived by others to be extraordinary men and women who are capable of great things. Their shortcomings are often overlooked, while their strong points are emphasized.

You can develop this kind of charisma that opens doors for you by going to work on yourself consistently and persistently. You'll become the kind of person everyone admires and looks up to. That's what charisma is all about.

About Brian Tracy:

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.

Brian Tracy has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 4,000,000 people in 4,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 46 other countries worldwide. As a keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.

Brian has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of sales, entrepreneurship, economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is a top-selling author of 42 books that have been translated into 35 languages and which are sold in 52 countries.