Describe someone you know as
having charisma, and most people get an image of
a powerful leader striding across a stage,
emoting and expounding, with the audience
periodically breaking into raucous
cheers.
However, that's just
one style of charisma. Introverts
too can possess strong personal
magnetism, inspiring passionate
devotion. Their allure has
different dynamics, and I've broken down
the possibilities into four types.
Four Types of Introvert Charisma
1. The Man or Woman of
Mystery. Think of the proverbial guru
on the mountaintop who sleeps in a cave and
needs no human companionship, yet is sought out
by troubled people with cosmic questions.
Seekers revere the guru's oracular
pronouncements and may turn them over and over
again in their minds for years.
A Zen master has this kind of
charisma, as does someone who speaks rarely but
always with compressed meaning. Think of
Calvin Coolidge, nicknamed "Silent Cal" because
he never engaged in small talk. When he
died, extroverted wit Dorothy Parker quipped,
"How could they tell?"
Think also about the
long-lived fascination with Greta Garbo, who
came to public attention as a silent film star
and ended her life as an enigmatic recluse.
Ditto for the laconic martial artist Bruce Lee,
who once said something that could serve as the
introvert creed: "Always be yourself,
express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not
go out and look for a successful personality and
duplicate it."
For an in-depth portrait of
this type of charismatic introvert, read Ludwig
Wittgenstein: A Memoir, by Norman
Malcolm. Wittgenstein was the greatest
philosopher of the twentieth century and quite a
character. (Malcolm was my graduate-school
advisor at Cornell, and he was also a man of few
words and many silences.)
2. The Preacher. This is someone
brimming with conviction for a cause, who lives
his or her truth and inspires others with highly
emotional, eloquent persuasion. Through
words and deeds, he or she calls listeners to
their conscience.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa,
Eleanor Roosevelt and Gandhi might come to
mind. And perhaps you know someone whose
passion for animals or the earth or social
justice energizes others around them.
Such people might look like extroverts, since
they are often out and about crusading in
public. However, they may actually feel
themselves to be shy and recharge themselves in
solitude.
3. The Deep One. Here, someone has
a talent for interpersonal intensity and
intimacy, so that others feel fully seen, heard
and touched. Again, this might appear to
be an extrovert tendency, but we are talking
about people who prefer to exercise this flair
one on one. In contrast to the man or
woman of mystery, who has more of an
intellectual bent, this charismatic introvert
lives in a world of feelings.
When someone with a genius for
rapport bends his or her talent for good, we see
a healer, someone who is gifted at eye contact,
listening and/or touch, a consummate lover and a
brilliant friend. When someone with those
abilities travels to the dark side, we get a
Svengali - someone who uses personal magnetism
to manipulate another person in a close personal
relationship.
Those with this profile don't
usually seek fame or acclaim, but sometimes it
finds them, as with Princess Diana and
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and they must learn
to make their peace with it.
4. The Kook. When Ross Perot ran
for President, he often lectured with charts and
a pointer instead of giving conventional
political speeches. For many people, he
had a geeky charm that was compelling because he
believed so firmly in what he was saying and
because he was so utterly himself.
Although Perot is usually pegged as an
extrovert, I've known many introverts with this
kind of magnetism, who care little about what
others think of them and constantly surprise one
with their off-kilter attitudes and unexpected
pronouncements. Comedians Steve Martin and
Lily Tomlin (at least in their performing
personas) exemplify this type.
Do you recognize yourself in one of these four
profiles? If so, I'm not sure you need
much marketing advice.
When charismatic
introverts discover their calling and know
themselves thoroughly, they easily and naturally
attract admirers. If they struggle, it
tends to be around the issue of whether or not
they should unbottle their gifts and impulses,
rather than keeping them suppressed or
contained.
Your major lesson: If you're charismatic, it
pays to be yourself. Work on refining your
authenticity and letting your greatness
shine. Then watch the recipients of your
magnetism spread the word on your behalf.
Copyright 2010 Marcia Yudkin. All rights
reserved.
Discover the
Marketing Moves That Fit Your
Personality Read profiles of eight successful
marketers who match each of the
Myers-Briggs introvert personality
types. Even better, learn how to
select the marketing techniques that fit
how you operate in the world and keep
your energy high.
More info on
Marketing in Tune With Your Personality.
