You know that person: He enters the room and effortlessly owns it. People immediately like him and want to listen to what he says. He's got charisma.
What is that? The word charisma comes from the Greek word kharis, meaning favor or grace, according to Psychology Today. But when you see it, charisma seems, as sociologist Max Weber once wrote, supernatural.
But some studies say charisma can be acquired or, at minimum, enhanced.
A 2015 study by the Association for Psychological Science found that people who were quick-thinking were generally rated as charismatic and that, in turns, suggests the ability to focus.
In fact, according to Psychology Today, the ability to focus strong emotions may be at the heart of charisma. People have evolved to be attracted to strong emotions, like excitement and happiness — or anger.
Embedded in a charismatic person are all the qualities of a good conversationalist, a person with something to say, but doesn't dominate; can listen and empathize, but not get caught in a counseling session; tell a good story, but not bore others with useless details.
To project charisma, a person might routinely prepare a story to tell, comments to make, and work on focusing emotion. That suggests that putting some thought and time into your conversation, your appearance, and the people around you can work together to boost charisma.