Origins of Communicate Charisma

Communicate Charisma helps to develop leadership. It is designed to be simple and intuitive, widening access to effective communication skills far beyond the domain of PR or communication departments of large companies.

But simple and accessible doesn’t mean simplistic. Nor does it mean learning ‘tips and tricks’ for managing media or conference audiences, the result of which may seem artificial and whose effectiveness may be short-lived. The only way to address a lifetime’s worth of old habits in any person’s communication style, is through deep learning and practice.

We are not starting from zero. Our foundations are a cross-disciplinary synthesis of old and new thought, backed by observations noted during thousands of hours of professional engagement with communicators in leadership positions.

Our unique methodology is supported by the Humanist tradition in the fields of psychology, social and behavioural sciences, and classical learning. It is also supported by new disciplines including organisational development and applied statistics making use of internet-based “crowdsourcing.”

Our concept of the persona and the use of behavioural archetypes to classify patterns of charismatic behaviour, draws heavily upon the psychologist C.G. Jung, whose work also inspired a broad range of other personality tests today now regarded as standard for both industry and academics.

Our understanding of the inner energy levels that every individual projects through his or her communication and body language, is influenced by more recent generations of psychologists. These include Wilhelm Reich and John C Pierrakos, the founder of Bioenergetics. Our understanding of non-verbal communication and how we “let our body speak our mind”, draws on the work of Stanley Keleman and his concept of somatic process reorganisation.

In the realm of applied psychology, we recognize how behaviours are driven by both needs and values. Influential reinterpretations of Abraham Maslow’s original hierarchy of needs include Cultural Transformation Tools. The importance of emotional intelligence in communication has been brought to the attention of many by Daniel Goleman.

In the exact sciences our approach recognises the importance of statistical methods to harness collective intelligence on a large scale, making use of the internet. By drawing on the principles laid down in James Surowiecki’s Wisdom of Crowds, we use collective intelligence to both source and validate views on charisma. You can see our “crowdsourced” online assessments of Great Communicators.

Within the realm of social sciences and behavioural studies, our development of a methodology that uses clear graphic visualisations to address the complex ways we communicate, was influenced by Whole Systems Thinking, and particularly the work of Ken Wilber. This derives in part from the pioneering work on cultures and organisations by Geert Hofstede and his son Gert Jan Hofstede.

Charisma is transmitted through compelling narratives and effective storytelling. Or, as Plato said, “those who tell the stories rule the world.” So Communicate Charisma workshops make use of our own Seven Levels of Storytelling methodology, that pays tribute to one of CG Jung’s followers, Joseph Campbell. We analyse not only what story is told, but the way it is delivered and how we respond. Our method also recognises the importance of the classical rules of persuasion first laid down by Aristotle.

A key ingredient of Communicate Charisma workshops is the use of experiential learning techniques to deepen self-knowledge and provide shared perspectives of communication at work. The learn-by-doing approach of our groups has been developed over years of practice with large and complex workshops for business leaders involving different cultures, communications challenges, and media.

Ultimately our assessment identifies areas for personal growth and development of leadership communications strengths. It is not a formal character-typing designed for career selection or a static portrait, but the basis for a Personal Development Plan that allows users to consciously build on their strengths over time.

In the end, our method depends on the simplest validation by users: did you recognize the self-portrait that you sketched of yourself by means of the self-assessment? Having seen your own map, will you let us help you build on your strengths and unlock your potential as a communicator? That’s all we ask.

 

To learn more about the concepts explored in this page, see our recommended reading list

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