(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

178 The Nonverbal Advantage
the headquarters of a nonprofit religious organization, where
they were to conduct focus groups. The staff member barely
recognized her stylish boss. By dressing more like the client,
Teresa fit right in. She looked like one of the nuns!
The Body Language of Charisma
Max Weber, the father of sociology, first coined the term charisma
to describe inspirational leaders. Originally from the
Greek kharisma, meaning favor or divine gift, charisma has
also been defined as “part confidence, part presence, and
part sex appeal.” But however we define it, we know it when
we see it. We call someone charismatic when they somehow
compel us to embrace their vision—whether it’s corporate,
social, religious, or political.
In the context of this chapter, I define charisma as body
language that is completely congruent with the spoken word.
Whether you are in management, sales, customer service,
healthcare, or education, you are the most charismatic and
convincing when what you are feeling internally is perfectly
aligned with what you’re expressing.
I’m not the only expert to notice the connection between
body language and charisma. Howard Friedman, a psychology
professor at the University of California at Riverside,
measures charisma by studying such nonverbal cues as facial
expressions, gestures, and body movements. He finds that
charismatic people smile naturally (with wrinkling around
the eyes), use a variety of gestures, and touch others during
conversations. Friedman has developed what he calls the
Affective Communication Test, which some large U.S. corporations
use to measure the charisma of potential leaders.
And it seems to be valid. Toyota’s top U.S. salesman scored in
the ninety-fifth percentile, and the sales manager of a leading
hair replacement company scored in the ninety-ninth.