Charisma in a Crisis CHARISMA IS PARTICULARLY effective during times of uncertainty, ambiguity, or crisis. “Leaders perceived as charismatic are rated higher when times are tough and anxiety is high,” Omar Sultan Haque of Harvard’s department of psychology told me. It’s easier to be perceived as charismatic during a crisis because people facing an emergency are more readily affected by a leader’s magnetism; 1 they become “charisma hungry.” Whether it was Churchill’s ability to rouse England’s spirits and inspire her people to stand while the rest of Europe fell, Napoleon taking France by storm as it was reeling from the French Revolution, or Gandhi voicing a clear path during India’s identity crisis, people who respond to crisis with bold, decisive actions will be perceived as charismatic. If you find yourself in a crisis, it’s actually an opportunity to gain charisma—if you play your cards right. This chapter will show you how. First, retain at least a certain measure of equanimity. Most charismatic leaders are known for their ability to remain (or appear) calm even in the midst of turbulent circumstances.