Charisma in leadership is a way of describing a person who apparently has no difficulty attracting people to him or her. This kind of charismatic leadership is effective, in the right situations. Historically, leaders like Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy are seen as charismatic, but so are Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. This simply means that charismatic leaders emerge in various situations and may or may not use their ability to advance. First, let’s see what makes a charismatic leader.

As we have said, charismatic leaders seem to have a natural gift for stirring up emotion and drawing people to follow them. These leaders are the “work in the room” type of leaders, the ones who can spend hours in a crowd focusing more on the people they’re talking to than themselves. One of the most important characteristics of charismatic leadership is the ability to take larger ideas and boil them down to simple ideas, like “I have a dream.” These charismatic leaders can be seen as above-average risk-takers who fight against the status quo and lead the charge to innovate.

On the other hand, so-called non-charismatic leaders can be seen as someone with high technical knowledge who leads a field by example. Or possibly the non-charismatic leader is seen as a caretaker, a protector, or a wise sage. Is one type of leadership more effective than the other? Once again, it depends on the situation. For example, political and religious leaders are often the most charismatic; after all, their success depends on how many people follow them. But think of more conservative organisations, such as a bank or investment house: is this a place where we would prefer a completely charismatic leader, or a calmer person, who leads by example? The danger in discussing these leadership styles is that we all tend to compare ourselves to standards. There is no need to try to become a charismatic leader if it is not the most natural style for you. On the other hand, if you lead with charisma, don’t try to tone it down. So is it true that not all leaders are charismatic? Absolutely. But all leaders share some of the same traits: they just demonstrate those traits in different ways.

First, all leaders share a vision. Whether you are charismatic or not, your leadership is established by creating a vision that the organization will follow. Visionary leadership is neither charismatic nor non-charismatic, it is simply leadership. All leaders engender trust, whether through charged public speaking and personal magnetism or through a strong, sensible vision and goals. If you have the trust of your organization, your leadership will be successful. Another characteristic that all leaders share is the ability to motivate and maintain motivation. Again, motivation can come from personal magnetism and the ability to stir up emotion and inspiration, or it can come from a quiet culture of recognition and reward. Leaders also lead with courage and honesty; Without these traits, your leadership won’t do much good. Finally, leaders share the need for innovation and the ability to surround themselves with innovators.

Many of us may want to increase our charisma, and there are a few things you can do to achieve this. But remember that too much charisma can lead to a “cult of personality,” where it seems that leadership is all talk and nothing. Whatever you do, balance your charisma based on your individual personality, the organization, and how the organization responds to charisma. Some organizations are inherently suspicious of a high level of charisma, or may have a tendency to dismiss charismatic leadership as hot air. So be careful how you approach it, and remember that we don’t all need the charisma of Martin Luther King or Billy Graham. So what can you do to work on charisma?

First, know yourself. Extreme self-knowledge and self-awareness lead to a high level of confidence—not overconfidence, but an understanding of who you are and what your contribution will be. Another way to increase charisma is to actively practice public speaking. If you are an organizational leader, you probably have to speak in public on a constant basis. Ask for feedback. Hire a coach or consultant to help you increase your public speaking magnetism. As we have seen, most charismatic leaders are excellent public speakers who feel and look comfortable in front of audiences large and small. Along with public speaking comes the ability to “work the room,” as we discussed earlier. Practice speaking extemporaneously along with public speaking. You will always be able to get someone to talk and therefore take the time to focus on them. But always remember to back up your words with consistent actions. Lastly, be humble. Some of history’s successful charismatic leaders have shared a sense of humility and a sense that they did not get where they were alone. These three practices can help you improve your personal charisma.

Remember that not all leaders are charismatic. You must lead with the style that is most compatible with your personality and the personality of your organization. Do not try to be someone you are not, and keep in mind that all leadership has the same goal: to get people to follow you with motivation and inspiration. If you are able to do that in your particular situation without a high level of charisma, so be it. With or without a high level of charisma, make sure you exhibit the common traits of leadership and your style will be successful.