Why Charisma Is Important For Keynote Speakers
By Sam Jones
Many people assume that keynote speakers are born with the gift of being charismatic and outgoing. However, this could not be furthest from the truth as many speakers start off being shy or introverted. If you are interested in pursu-ing this as a profession, then here are some insights about how to become charismatic from famous golfer Arnold Palmer.
Keynote Speakers Must Learn Charisma
Charisma can be learned and is not a natural gift that we have or do not have. Prime examples like John F. Kennedy learned it, too, although there are a few people who do the right things intuitively without ever thinking about their ef-fect on others.
It is a complex mix out of five personality characteristics. According to the web-site Keynote Speaker Info, “That means that you won’t find a truly charismatic speaker who loses temper regularly,” So how can you learn this from former golfer Arnold Palmer?
Keynote Speakers Should Emulate Him
He was a man of great integrity. Integrity combined with charisma means that a person has to be authentic and shows great accordance between feeling, thinking and acting. In interviews Palmer said that it was his mother in his family who taught him the game. His swing didn’t look perfect like the swings of other golfers.
He plaid golf raw, ferocious and unorthodox and was an enormously good golfer nevertheless. Palmer had rough edges and was a great role model for a charismatic person: You don’t have to be perfect – you just have to be full of integrity. He also showed his loyalty in his private life. He found life-long relationships with his wives Winnie and Kit.
Keynote Speakers Don't Lose Their Cool
“That means that you won’t find a truly charismatic speaker who loses temper regularly,” says this motivational speaker. Yes, Palmer showed emotions – but he was always aware of his emotions, even when he lost a game. No uncontrolled fits of rages, just pure confidence in his ability to win. But Palmer was not always perfect in this personality characteristic: There were times in the 1960's where he wanted to win too badly and lost because he became a high flyer. Over time he got better in tranquility.
It’s a rumor that people have to be extravert in order to seem charismatic to other persons. But of course it helps when you love to go out and meet other people. Charisma is a relational phenomenon, you need fans to be a charis-matic person. It’s no use to sit in your closet all alone and say: “Wow, I am char-ismatic!” No one will see it.
Keynote Speakers Are Balanced Introverts & Extroverts
We all are extrovert and introvert at the same time, but one is more extrovert or introvert than the other. Palmer seemed to have found a good balance be-tween public and private life. When he married for the second time it’s been in a very small circle without publicity – but he gave his fans at least some infor-mation about his feelings for his new love. Apart from his own extrovert atti-tude, the rise of television helped him to find a large audience.
Combined with charisma it means that a speaker is not only thinking about oneself, but about others, too. Arnold Palmer showed his empathy for others in his warm rivalry with Golf legend Jack Nicklaus. When Palmer died Nicklaus just had good words for his old friend. They lived a rivalry full of respect for one another. A great sporting spirit.
Palmer also had a lot of empathy for his fans. He knew what the audience needed to enjoy a golf game as a bystander. He had a great sense of humor, made jokes with everyone around, didn’t take himself to serious and was an unpredictable entertainer. He had no allures, he was no elitist and didn’t seem arrogant – he was just a nice guy, one like us. He just accidentally plaid excellent golf.
Before he died he was able to review 67 victories, seven of which were major championships. He was an ambitious golfer who did not only talk about winning – he actually won a lot of times. We all know enough people who pretend to be someone and they never really achieve the predicted goals. Charismatic keynote speakers are ambitious and full of discipline. They may fail a lot of times as long as there are some successes to celebrate.