There's a trending video on TikTok right now about “biz rizz” (rizz being charisma).
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
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.
What’s charisma anyway?
The study breaks charisma down as a combo of:
- Warmth (you can trust me)
- Competence (you can rely on me)
The trick lies in striking a balance between the two (the most charismatic people have warmth and competence in equal doses).
4 things for better biz rizz
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).
Know your intro — my fav framework is the 3-point "present-past-future method.
🔮 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."
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.)
🔮 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]."
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.
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.
Never fast, always furious
Soph ✌🏼