Charisma is originally a Greek word meaning Grace or a divine gift bestowed upon a chosen few. To say someone had ‘charisma’ meant they had a mysterious power to attract good things and accomplish great feats such as healing or prophesy. The word was later used by sociologist Max Weber to denote a type of authority inherent within the individual. Some people seem to have according to Weber, a certain quality that sets them apart from ordinary men and women, by virtue of which they are treated as if endowed with supernatural or exceptional powers. It has now come to mean personal magnetism, charm, star-quality, personal magic that attracts, empowers and inspires others. All this may seem somewhat mysterious. It may seem like a supernatural power, but with over 20 years of experience as a coach, trainer and consultant specialising in organisational psychology, I am convinced that there is nothing mysterious or supernatural about it at all. Charisma is a constellation of knowledge, skills and attitudes, all of which can be defined and measured. If it is an inborn gift from the gods then we are all born with it. The trouble is most of us loose it. What we need is to regain the art and science of charisma and develop what we have. While Weber was able to identify charisma and define the corresponding political and social structures, he was not concerned with helping people discover and develop their own charisma potential. This is the aim of the Charisma Trainings. The findings of modern psychology and consciousness research are carefully woven with techniques from experimental theatre to create the complete communicator.
