How can we unmask nefarious charisma? (continued)

In life we’re often attracted to charismatic people, even though some can mask less-than-benign agendas. There is true Charisma and manipulative Charisma, so the question becomes how can we tell between the two? 

Well some charismatic leaders are clearly out for the greater good, while others are primarily interested in the “greater self” and they accomplish this by drawing on the same skills and resources to serve themselves and advance their own agenda. Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos story is the best modern example I can think of nefarious charisma in action (watch video below). 

We often believe that we know arrogance and narcissism when we see it, but that isn’t always the case. In practice, it can be tricky telling these two types of charisma apart. Both can articulate a compelling vision, but only well-meaning leaders actually involve others in realizing it. 

These leaders talk more in terms of challenges, opportunities, and reaching potential, whereas self-interested leaders focus on the negative sides of their competition or their opponents. Then there’s the way in which they display confidence. 

Both types of charismatic leader are outwardly confident, but self-serving leaders often have more fragile egos. That’s why they surround themselves with people who kiss their ass and never disagree or rock the boat. Good leaders accept and are more comfortable with honest push back and are never afraid to invite smart people into their circle who offer totally different perspectives. 

The danger of following a charismatic leader who’s more self-absorbed is that they may be more interested in using your goals and aspirations to support their own; they might differ considerably, but this type of leader will try to make that gap hard to perceive. 

Ultimately, there’s a greater likelihood to get thrown under the bus or get blamed when things don’t go right. Instead, it’s key to follow people who are courageous and are looking for people’s best interests and fully support those without whom they couldn’t achieve what they’re aiming to do, or at the very least, leaders who behave that way most of the time. 

Charisma can be deceiving and seductive, but by paying attention to some of these subtle cues, one can get a pretty good insight about who they can follow and who they should stay away from…