Paul A. Henny, DDS 

Charisma is the ability to attract and influence others with our ideas and communication style. There are many different types of charismatic styles, with no moral component associated with any of them, which means that some charismatic people are quiet, graceful, and principle-centered like Jackie Kennedy, while others are more extroverted, and self-centered like her husband JFK. In other words, some charismatic people are exuberant like Oprah Winfrey, while others are more introverted Elon Musk. 

Charisma is often said to be a “subjective ineffable quality,” something we either have or we don’t have, with attributes such as confidence, passion for a topic or a cause, optimism, a ready smile, expressive body language, and a friendly voice. In other words, the social characteristics of a charismatic person reflect feelings of someone with high self-regard. 

Is charisma an important attribute if we want to become a more successful, relationship-based, health-centered dentist?  

Simply answered —yes. 

But the basis of our charisma must originate from an “other-centered” world view, because if we use charisma as a strategy to simply get more of what we want out of others (act in a manipulative fashion), then it won’t work well for us long-term, because empathetic patients are able to detect insincerity very quickly, and the perception of insincerity will cause them to steer away from us. 

On the two-way street where relationship-based, health-centered practices live, both charisma and empathy are essential. Even if we’re introverted (most dentists are), we can still be charismatic if we present ourselves and our message in a fashion that’s “other-centered,” sincerely helping, and in an “I’m willing to give-before-I-receive” fashion.

L.D. Pankey, Bob Barkley, F. Harold Wirth, Peter Dawson, Mike Schuster, Richard A. Green, Frank Spear, John Kois, Lee Ann Brady, and other stars who shine in our dental firmament all had/have different personalities and communication styles. In common, they all shared/share their deep love for others and an insatiable desire to help others learn and become better at helping others. We know them because they have drawn us in. They have engaged our attention and inspired us to push our personal envelope and follow their lead.