I recently enjoyed this short (6 minute) podcast from Bennie Kara on the subject of ‘Charisma’. I agree with Bennie that ‘charisma’ isn’t necessarily something we should see as a desirable leadership quality. Often those who are charismatic – and Bennie’s suggested definition of ‘charisma’ is ‘that sparkling quality that draws people in’ – are ultimately to be found to be rather shallow and superficial, lacking substance and secure judgement. Having charisma may mean that interview candidates, for example, are striking, impressing us with their charm, their likeability, perhaps, and their confidence. But successful leadership requires much more than this.
I remember listening to Susan Cain, author of ‘Quiet’, speaking at a Conference and explaining how our society tends to privilege the extrovert. I think the world of education, and educational leadership, certainly does. And yet introvert leaders can be exceptionally good – reflective, considered, showing empathy and good sense. Iesha Small’s excellent book ‘The Unexpected Leader’ is particularly good on this subject. We should perhaps be cautious about being superficially impressed by someone who oozes charisma.
Listening to Bennie’s podcast and thinking about charisma also led me to think about the word ‘gravitas’. That seems to me quite a gendered word – more likely to be attributed to a man, perhaps. In my third unsuccessful interview for headship in the late 1990s, I was told in feedback from the Education Advisor working with the governing body that, ‘You didn’t have the gravitas they were looking for, Jill.’ I wasn’t too disappointed – I realised that any governing body that didn’t choose me wasn’t the governing body I wanted to work closely with – but I remember coming home and saying to my husband, ‘If I have to have gravitas to get a headship, I think we’re stuffed’. (But I was a bit ruder than that).
I had worked with ten different heads in the previous 20 years, across five schools. I recognised that, to a small number of them, gravitas was so important that they almost had ‘headteacher’ tattooed across their foreheads, lest anyone ever forget how important they were. I’ve definitely known heads who appeared to take themselves far too seriously, to be rather pompous and to stand on their dignity. I knew that wasn’t the kind of head I wanted to be. I realise how much I have learnt from negative role models over the years, as well as positive ones, and I’ve written about that here.
In my next, fourth, headship application, I was successful. The Chair of Governors who appointed me told me afterwards that I was the governing body’s unanimous choice, and that if I hadn’t accepted the role they would have readvertised – which was heartening. I loved that school and I loved headship – the best job I had in my thirty year career working in schools, as many of you will, no doubt, have heard me say.
I don’t think I have charisma, and I certainly never had gravitas. But what I did, and do, have, I believe, is ‘presence’. I have energy and commitment and I can command attention. I can, I hope, draw people in when I’m talking to them. And I very much believe that a leader’s capacity to command respect, to earn trust and confidence, is key to leadership success. Leadership needs to have depth, to show depth of thought and good judgement, and it shouldn’t be ego-driven. Leadership – at all levels – in my view is about bringing out the best in others through a judicious balance of support and constructive challenge, lifting those you lead, rather than grinding them down. You achieve this by building the most positive relationships, working to get communication right, and showing that your judgement is underpinned by secure knowledge of three things – your domain, your context and your people. You admit it when you get something wrong (as you invariably will), but you reflect, evaluate, learn, and commit to doing a little better next time. As Steve Munby says, we are all imperfect leaders, and we need to accept and embrace that, but to keep learning.
Charisma can be misleading. Gravitas isn’t necessary. Presence is essential.
What do you think?
jillberry102 