Many leaders think that charisma is very important. Charisma is often how well you speak, and whether you can inspire the troops. Competence, on the other hand, is being able to consistently generate results and having a track record of making and keeping promises.

At first, charisma is alluring and attractive. However, sometimes what the person says and how they say it doesn’t really match up with what they do and what they deliver.

Your initial and ongoing focus as a leader should be to work on your competence, your ability to deliver results, and to make promises that you can keep. Once you’ve accomplished this, you can then work on polishing your leadership skills and your communication style.

Remember that most people are attracted to someone’s authenticity, not a façade that they create in order to win others over.

If you’re already a charismatic leader, be aware of whether you’re coming across as false, or whether people are perceiving you as being authentic.

Saying it straight goes a long way to building trust.

A combination of charisma and competence yields the best results.Click To Tweet

When was the last time you checked which way you leaned – on charisma or competence?