There's a trending video on TikTok right now about “biz rizz” (rizz being charisma).

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The idea goes something like this:

• If you have it, senior leaders will like you
• Because of those relationships, you become a work “nepo baby”
• You get trusted with better, more important projects
• Which creates an influence flywheel and fast-tracks you to a Director title

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While I don’t think it’s smart to focus on being charismatic vs just... being good at your core job, it’s true that companies are a collection of messy emotional humans and (according to a 2007 Princeton study) the #1 trait that determines your ability to influence others is — charisma.

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What’s charisma anyway?

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The study breaks charisma down as a combo of:

1. Warmth (you can trust me)
2. Competence (you can rely on me)

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The trick lies in striking a balance between the two (the most charismatic people have warmth and competence in equal doses).

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4 things for better biz rizz

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1. Practice how to introduce yourself

People form their impression of you insanely fast (exact number debated but most studies say somewhere between 0.1-30 sec).

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Know your intro — my fav framework is the 3-point "present-past-future method.

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🔮 AI Prompt: "Help me craft a simple way to introduce myself to people, using the 3-point “present, past, future” method, by asking me a series of questions."

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2. Give yourself extra time so you’re not rushing or late

Being flustered is the enemy of charisma (I’m 😳😳😳 as I type this thinking about the amount of running I did inside the Google office before I learnt this.)

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🔮 AI Prompt: "You’re an experienced business leader. Analyse the meeting materials below. Based on your analysis, generate 3 insightful questions to ask during the meeting. Here are the meeting materials: [paste text or upload PDFs]."

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3. Remember details about people’s lives

Write them down if you need to. Ask for updates next time you see them. If you want to be interesting, be interested.

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4. Pause when you talk

People who pause are more persuasive than people who speak without breaks (2011 study by University of Michigan). It's so so basic I know, but if you practice it, you'll notice a shift in how people react to you.

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Never fast, always furious

Soph ✌🏼

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