Way back in 1977, I was a brand new sales representative trainee for IBM Corp (International Business Machines), synonymous with computers and selectric typewriters. Back then, we also made a line of copiers, including our top of the line, the high-speed Series III Copier. One of the first tasks I was ever assigned as a trainee was to “babysit” a problematic Series III that we had recently installed at the local headquarters of a large international airline. My job was to sit near the machine and ensure that any problems or questions that arose were quickly addressed. In addition, it was a nice marketing technique and show of customer support to actually dedicate one of IBM’s representatives (yes, I wore a suit back then) to ensure client satisfaction. Actually, the copier worked with few jams or problems that day, but due to its speed and newness, much of the time, there would be a line of curious users who wanted to try out the new technology. For me, the most impressive event of a rather boring day was watching a tall, well dressed blond gentleman deftly and subtly work his way from the back of the line (some 7 or 8 persons long at the time), by politely asking/cajoling/joking with each individual for several seconds. I watched him (he appeared to be an Australian, from his accent) make it from the back of the room to the Series III in under a minute. He made his copies, turned and graciously thanked everyone and walked away with his copies, leaving the people in line, smiling and blessed by his wit and charm. He possessed such a mild sense of self-confidence, I have not doubt that he worked his way through most of life that same way – almost as if he was entitled to always be escorted to the front of the line – but without any arrogance or sense of self-importance. I was impressed, to say the least.

Perhaps you’ve met several folks like this in your life. I have noticed this rare gifting in a few individuals in all areas of life; school, work, sports, church, social gatherings, etc. It really wasn’t limited to or determined by; their looks or size or intelligence or strength or legal authority or fame – though many of these traits were certainly part of the package.

Such individuals also exist in the martial arts. Over the years, I’ve gotten to meet and train under various senseis, some of them, quite famous. Of the famous or high ranking ones, all were exceptional martial artists and excellent technicians. Most were older, nice and friendly persons. In addition, a very few possessed another gift, one that was quite intangible and hard to describe, but very real, just the same – charisma. Such senseis, could encourage me to try harder and learn more, seemingly without effort. At the same time, they’d occasionally make use of humor or perform an adroit movement that might raise a chuckle or inspire, but also help one achieve some small increment of understanding. They would demonstrate not just their knowledge, but their genuine love and respect of the art and their love and respect of others. And at the end of the training session, I’d always feel satisfied and relaxed, glad that I’d made it to class.

Curious, I decided to look up the definition of the phenomenon charisma. I was surprised by what the word actually meant.

According to the Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia that’s available online, the definition of charisma is as follows:

“Charisma (Greek “kharisma,” meaning “gift,” “of/from/favored by God/the divine”) is a trait found in persons whose personalities are characterized by a personal charm and magnetism (attractiveness), along with innate and powerfully sophisticated abilities of interpersonal communication and persuasion. One who is charismatic is said to be capable of using their personal being, rather than just speech or logic alone, to interface with other human beings in a personal and direct manner, and effectively communicate an argument or concept to them.”

Hmmmm….a gift from God, favored by the Divine. When I really think about it, it really does seem to me that such persons do appear to be truly blessed, at peace, and genuinely interested in everyone around them. It is truly a great experience to be in the presence of a charismatic instructor, especially of he or she knows their stuff and are willing to share with others. Maybe the remaining 99.999% of us can’t all be naturally charismatic; however, we can certainly strive to know more, to be better communicators, to genuinely care enough about others, to help them along the path of enrichment and self-fulfillment. Or on a more mundane note, maybe one day, we’ll be able to cajole ourselves from the back of the line to the front and leave everyone feeling a little better about their day;)