By Patricia Fitzmorris Danflous

You don’t have to be Oprah or the Dalai Lama to unleash your charisma.  You already have the internal force for living a successful, joyful and culturally diverse life.

Cultural Anthropologist and Non-verbal Communications Specialist Robin Sol Lieberman explains charisma as a universal, non-verbal language.  “Charisma comes from our soul, from our spirit, from the deepest essence of who we are to express our personality through words, through physical body language, through tone of voice.  It’s the deep, deep, deep authentic way of communicating.”

A world-traveler since the age of 16, Lieberman defines her insight to charisma, communications and connecting in what she terms “the charisma code.”  She details her personal journey to develop and define charisma while guiding others in achieving their full potential in The Charisma Code, Communicating in a Language Beyond Words (White Cloud Press).  Recognized by CEOs of major global companies, congressmen and United Nations representatives, The Charisma Code is a rich resource.  Lieberman presents a guide for resolving conflict, inspiring engagement, changing culture as well as achieving personal success and joy.

The 35-year-old Los Angeles resident has made presentations before the United Nations, as well as frequent media appearances during national and regional elections.  She explains the charisma code of appeal that makes candidates attractive to their diverse supporters.  For instance, some politicians match Einstein’s charisma while others embody Marilyn Monroe’s allure. 

Leiberman emphasizes, however, that charisma is not an elusive quality reserved for the famous or influential.  “Charisma is an innate force, that infuses the most basic communication and gestures with passion and purpose, magnetically attracting people and opportunities,” she said. “Charisma is the currency of connection which inspires engagement, motivates teams and elicits commitment. It opens doors, dissolves borders and makes any culture feel like home.”

Clearly passionate about non-verbal communications in an expanding global environment, Lieberman’s first recognition of speaking without words came during her teens.  “When I first left the country at 16, on a safari with my parents in Kenya, Africa, I remember having a profound connection with the individuals in the Maasai tribe we spent time with.  I was more interested in learning about the guide than seeing the animals,” she said.  “We obviously didn’t know each other’s language, but we had a connection.  ‘Okay,’ I remember thinking, ‘connections happen with people who don’t speak the same language.  What is that?’  That experience was the root for my studying anthropology in college.”

  That was a life-changing year for me. I realized there was a connection in a language beyond words.  As a younger, somewhat of a hippie at that time, my word for it then was ‘telepathy.’

By the age of 21, Lieberman was traveling alone to Nepal, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Bali, Nicaragua and other countries while reinforcing an emerging recognition that charisma is communicating without the need for words. “It is a force, a currency that anyone can cultivate by acknowledging and unleashing confidence, magnetism and connection that exists within,” she emphasized.

“I turned 21 out in the boonies of some village where I participated in an African dance on fire, an inspiring ritual,” she continued.  “That was a life-changing year for me.  I realized there was a connection in a language beyond words.  As a younger, somewhat of a hippie at that time, my word for it then was ‘telepathy.’  But as I matured, I recognized that communication skill as charisma.  It is what I am now teaching to others.”

The founder of TrueCharisma, a communications training firm dedicated to the emerging culture of the global citizen, Lieberman’s client list is impressive and growing.  She has worked with global leaders through events organized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with new arrival immigrants and refugees and with the marketing teams of international companies such as Pfizer.  She leads training sessions for IMPACT Leadership 21’s Emerging Global Leaders program and serves as an advisor to Alliance 4 Empowerment, an organization committed to creating social and economic inclusion worldwide.  She is equally committed to encouraging individuals to enhance charisma by recognizing value and developing confidence.

“Once you ask ‘what if’ questions that support your worth and encourage your authenticity, you can magnetize others by showing your value,” she said, explaining steps to release charisma.  “Magnetizing others starts with a commitment to love yourself unconditionally, connecting with what your body feels or what your mouth says, and believing your own authority while standing up against the cultural backlash that comes with the territory of daring to be different, bold and even outrageous.”

“Charisma, to me, is just the act of giving who you are to the world,” Lieberman emphasized.  “It heightens our communication, our ability to communicate with others, the gifts that we have so that we can collaborate as a species.  If there is a language beyond words we can all speak, and if that language connects us instead of divides us – we have a tool from which to wage world peace.”