The Charisma Myth

The common view holds that charisma is an inborn trait, and Olivia Fox Cabane argues that this is a myth: charismatic behavior can be learned and refined by anyone. Using techniques she first developed for Harvard and MIT, she splits charisma into three components, presence, power and warmth, and treats each as a set of practices. Becoming more charismatic, in her account, does not require changing one's basic personality, only adopting specific habits that fit it. She challenges the assumption that figures such as Steve Jobs, Oprah and Bill Clinton were simply born with the quality. The stated goal is to help readers become more influential, persuasive and inspiring in how they deal with others.

Former Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer celebrated its launch, noting that it went into a second printing before release, and cardiologist Dr. Monali Y. Desai calls it her current favorite business book and tries to reread it once a year.