Tact and Charisma: Required Assets in Today's Leadership

Author: Joy Cagil

Have you ever entered a social gathering, felt immediately drawn to a person, and seen that others also huddle around him? On the other hand, have you noticed yourself feel more at ease when a certain person is present in a crowd? Chances are, the person in the first situation had charisma and the person in the second situation had tact.

The most successful people in starring roles in society have tact or charisma or both. People with charisma immediately secure others' loyalty at first sight, with or without having many desirable assets. People with tact instinctively grasp the situation and put everyone at ease by being able to say the right thing at the right time. Moreover, they lead others into acting in positive ways and they ease sticky situations.

Although a tactful act is instantaneous, tact involves a holding back of judgment and measured action. Charisma, on the other hand, glows with abundant action. Followers of charismatic people trust them full-heartedly, with affection, obedience, and emotional involvement. A charismatic person connects to people right away practically on most levels, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Yet, tact calms the action down and soothes agitated nerves. A tactful person is one who would most likely put people at ease and stabilize any shaky situation. People are appreciative of tact but are mesmerized by charisma just like the children of Hamelin when they were magically drawn to Pied Piper.

Charisma has been a characteristic of some leaders who had crowds, mobs, or groups following them. People usually feel strongly attracted to a charismatic person.

The idea of charisma, as a God-given gift or talent, first found its place in theology. Charismata (Greek for ""spiritual gifts"") was spoken of by Christians during the early apostolic age when this was considered a sign of grace. Later the word charisma was used in describing some political leaders and popular people in the public eye. Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King, F. D. Roosevelt, Leon Trotsky, Adolf Hitler, President Kennedy, President Reagan, and President Clinton had charisma. As the examples of these people show, charisma has little to do with morals or being good or evil. Even today, in the entertainment arts, people attract more attention if they have charisma. Charisma compared to tact is an asset of the façade of personality.

Charisma is more of an external human feature; tact is more of an internal affair. Although some intuition is involved inside, tact may be teachable, but not charisma. The spring from where charisma flows is not clearly identified. Charisma is like a magnet that stirs up emotions, affectionate feelings, and blind trust. The followers of a charismatic person become missionaries in his cause and trust his every word as the members of Al Queda did, following Osama Bin Laden with religious fervor.

Tact develops as an interpretive sensitivity to the other person or situation. As people gain experience and become more reflective, they become more tactful. How can one act with tact if he interprets the other person in the wrong way? For the same token, how can one act with tact if he interprets himself the wrong way? Knowledge of one's own self and one's own vision are factors inside a person who combines charisma and tact, because self-knowledge leads to confidence.

Since confidence inside a situation is a quality of tact and charisma, their combined use shows strength in personal style. A personal style with both charisma and tact has its own components.

One of those components is a person's silent message, the way he carries himself in every way, even before he opens his mouth. Another is the ability to speak well, articulating every thought and idea. If a person can't put forth his ideas properly, who would appreciate them? Another vital asset is listening skills, a key to effective communication. Then, persuasion skills and ability to adapt to others by understanding their situation take the stage. In addition, motivating others to follow one's lead, treating them in a pleasant way, using one's time well, and respecting others' time and personal space are very important.

Our forefathers acted with tact. Some of them also had charisma. Combining the two made them invincible. Theirs will always be a tough act to follow.

As an example, Benjamin Franklin was a person of tact. Through his tactful approach, he was able to obtain liberal grants and loans from Louis XVI of France despite the objections of the France's Finance minister. After the revolutionary war, when United States Delegates (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay) met with the British John Hartley to sign a treaty recognizing the colonies in the new world as an independent country, Franklin pointed out that the British Empire had made war on the United States unjustly, causing the colonies great injuries. ""Nevertheless,"" he said, ""Now not only peace will be achieved, but also reconciliation."" He added, ""Reconciliation is a sweet word."" Franklin knew what to say, when to say it, and the way to say it. In a high pressure situation, tact reinforces intent.

Tact and charisma spring in unison from highly evolved minds and attractive personalities. A combination of tact and charisma produces winners who act with spirit and heart. When those winners connect to others in a commitment of optimistic acts, they elevate everyone's quality of life.

One day people like that, especially those elected leaders, who combine tact and charisma inside themselves may unite the world into one loving family. Aren't we all after that utopia?

About the author: Joy Cagil is an author on a site for Creative Writing (http://www.Writing.Com/) Her training is in foreign languages and linguistics. In her background are varied subjects such as humanities, mental health, women's issues, and visual arts. Her portfolio can be found at