What is charisma? Is it a personal quality? Part of our personality? When we think of charismatic leaders, specific names come to mind, but those names usually differ based on our political views. Why is that? In her TEDx talk, Dr. Elizabeth Zechmeister shows how her research revealed a surprising fact: Charisma doesn't come strictly from within us, but rather it is a quality we gift to others. We award charisma to selected leaders especially when we feel vulnerable, and we ignore more critical views. Charisma is indeed a kind of superpower, but one that comes with both positive and negative consequences.
Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Zechmeister is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. Professor Zechmeister received her Ph.D. from Duke University in 2003. Her research focuses on comparative political behavior and public opinion, in particular in Latin America. Her work includes studies of voting, ideology, political parties, representation, charisma, and crisis. Zechmeister has received support from the National Science Foundation for investigations into the public opinion consequences of terrorist threats and natural disasters. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx