Becoming a charismatic startup leader takes more than professional preparation and experience. It’s about who you are beneath the surface, inspiring people to stand with you and do great things.
Charisma is all about giving people the energy they need to get through tough times, and start-ups are known for having rocky moments. How can someone become a charismatic leader as an executive in a startup and be loved and respected by their colleagues?
Present clear goals
Giving people a reason to follow you is the number one priority for leaders. You should sit down and develop clear goals that will become your mainstays and the reasons people should trust you. Whether it’s raising your startup in the next five years or developing an offshore office on every continent – these are the dreams that make the wheels turn. Charismatic leaders are known for dreaming big, and you should do the same. Doing anything less will make people like you, but you will be nowhere near as adored as you can be.
Build connections
Good leaders know how to get along with people, even if they don’t like some of them. Building connections with your friends, colleagues, and partners is a huge step in making sure you are charismatic. You don’t need to have expert people skills and be an extrovert to be liked and followed. All you need is, to be honest about your interpersonal relations and tell people how you really feel.
Heartfelt moments and speeches will go a long way in making sure that people remember you and spread your words throughout the office. Build your connections anywhere you get a chance to – seminars, conferences, company meetings or partnership meetings. You will soon realize how easily people remember the things you’ve said without you even emphasizing it.
Make it light and professional
Charismatic leaders are known for being casual. You can’t rule a startup with an iron fist and expect good results. Being liked will help you develop a certain relationship with your coworkers. Just because you are laid-back doesn’t mean that you are unprofessional. Treating your fellow coworkers with respect and friendliness will go above and beyond making them like you as their boss.
Never forget that you are the executive manager of your startup, but always make sure that people don’t realize that until it’s needed. Act like a part of the team, not someone who is above everyone else. This is the secret of becoming charismatic in your startup without inducing a reign by fear and fake respect. Those that rule by fear will likely lose not only their revenue but staff and friends as well.
Be present and available
As the chief in charge of your startup, you should always be present in the office. Take time to visit your offices and talk to your coworkers any chance you get. Just because you are in charge, that doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want and have others work for you. Bosses who stay beside their workers even when situations are difficult and seemingly impossible will earn their respect tenfold.
People will remember every decision or action you make under stress. It’s what makes your charisma even more appealing. Don’t let your coworkers down by leaving when it’s difficult and always be available if anyone needs you. Even a simple tap on the shoulder will do wonders for many people, so don’t shy away from being a friend as well as an executive.
Inspire and motivate
Your coworkers will look to you whenever they need the motivation to make it through the day. Threatening them with lower pays or firing them will lead absolutely nowhere; often even have worse repercussions than that. Prepare a couple of speeches and words of wisdom just in case a bad time comes and you need to be ready. Some people are natural born speakers and have a tendency to improvise. Others, however, don’t, and if you don’t, you should do something about preparing yourself.
Sometimes it’s okay to cheat and have someone help you with writing a couple of speeches that cater to your coworkers. Check out online services such as custom dissertations (or Check out custom dissertations) if you need help on writing or editing your speeches in order to make them as impactful as possible. Do anything you can to inspire your coworkers and build the trust they have in you. It’s one of the most influential ways of becoming a charismatic leader that people will often talk about and admire.
Be honest and fair
Remember what we said about firing someone in your startup? Leaders who want to reach for the stars don’t punish their coworkers for doing badly. You need, to be honest about your intentions and fair towards people who work with you. Startups start as small organisms where everyone has to pitch in in order to make something out of it. If you are honest with your coworkers about your plans for them and the future, they will like you that much more.
If you start making up excuses and lying this early on, you stand little chance of becoming charismatic or developing your startup. Learn to be fair to people who work hard beside you and don’t take out your frustrations on them. Believe it or not, there will be plenty of frustrations, but it’s important to face them as a family rather than a group of workers. It will make you that much more charismatic knowing that you share your joy and sadness with everyone in the office.
Don’t give up easily
As the leader of the startup, your job is to be the most stubborn person in the room. People tend to bend the rules and expectations as soon as they come across a difficulty that prevents them from moving forward. Learn to take these situations head-on and ask your coworkers for help and opinions. If you start bending as soon as the first problems arrive, what is your startup going to look like in five years? Is it even going to be around?
Make sure that you are always open to alternative solutions and possibilities if your plan A doesn’t work out. Explore every possible option at your disposal before abandoning an idea or a product just because it’s hard to develop. Being determined and faithful to your ideas will make you a strong charismatic person that inspires people around them.
Final conclusions
As you can see, becoming and staying a charismatic leader is an ongoing process. It takes months to build up a reputation but only days to have it all crumble. Be consistent in whatever image you are putting out there and stay true to your startup’s mission. Imagine all the possibilities for your small company’s development if everyone is on board with your ideas. If you play your cards right, you can have anyone follow you wherever you go with your startup.