What personality type are you? Find out by taking the famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test, designed to categorize your personality into one of 16 different types based on how you interact with the world around you.
Once you know your type, check out these tips to increase your personal power and influence others in your life through your personality traits. You’ll learn how to manage both yourself and others so that everyone benefits from your unique strengths, as well as how to manage what might be seen as weaknesses in your personality type.
1. Be genuinely interested in others
It’s hard to be intimidating if you’re relaxed and interested in your conversation partner. Don’t be afraid of silence or a slow subject change — and don’t keep a list of topics at hand to give yourself something to talk about when you run out of ideas.
Be interesting and interested, and others will do their best to follow suit. Of course, it helps if you have an engaging personality — but that doesn’t happen overnight.
You can develop your personality by being aware of it, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and working on ways to make it more impactful (by thinking about how you present yourself in public, for example).
People with personalities are interested in everyone they come across. Although you’re busy, you can — and should — make time for others by sharing your stories, thoughts, and feelings (in a non-weird way).
This encourages people to express themselves as well. This is a great way to get things moving in your life and build some meaningful relationships with people you care about.
Plus, it makes them feel good about themselves! A personality that exudes genuine interest is a powerful tool for self-development.
It’s easy to feel anxious and awkward when we first meet new people, but our personality suffers if we never learn how to connect with others. One way you can boost your charisma is by being genuinely interested in what others have to say.
Even if you don’t feel like asking someone about themselves, make a sincere effort at conversation; most of us appreciate the genuine interest, especially from new people in our lives.
2. Be ambitious
First, notice what is genuine about you. If you’re naturally a shy person, work on making yourself more confident so that others perceive you as a bold and outgoing person instead.
Become genuinely interested in those around you. Ask them questions, listen carefully and ask follow-up questions, and remember details from your conversations. Make an effort to be interested in other people’s lives — especially people who are less important than your boss or coworkers — as well as co-workers.
Being approachable builds trust, which is essential for influencing others and building strong professional relationships at work. It’s also a great way to get promoted or advance in your career down the road!
Those who are seen as interesting are also more likely to attract mentors who can help them advance their careers even further. An ambitious attitude goes a long way in any professional setting.
It’s also one of those skills that can be learned — as opposed to being born with it. If you find yourself lacking a bit of ambition, try giving up your seat at lunch or not finishing that last bite at dinner.
Even when you don’t feel like doing these things, forcing yourself to do them will make you feel stronger and more confident.
Ambition is a trait that many successful people share. You don’t have to be president of a Fortune 500 company, but having an ambitious outlook on life will make you more likely to become successful.
3. Don’t take rejection personally,
Rather than assuming that rejection necessarily means there’s something wrong with you, give yourself a chance and try again. How many times have you tried for a job before getting it? How about getting a degree or selling your products and services?
Some people think they have to get everything right on their first attempt, but most successful people understand that failing is an important part of succeeding. And when they fail, they use it as an opportunity to learn what they did wrong, so they can improve their results in future attempts.
Don’t fall into thinking that you need things to go perfectly or exactly as planned — you don’t! We all fail at some point in our lives; it happens!
No matter how great your personality is, there will always be people who don’t want to get along with you. That doesn’t mean anything about you or them; it just means that personalities don’t always match up.
Rejection is hard, and if you let it get to you, it can really hinder your ability to connect with others — but more importantly, rejection won’t change a thing.
It’s very important not to take rejection personally. Many people give up their dreams because they were rejected in some way, shape, or form. If you want something badly enough, no one can stop you from achieving it.
It all comes down to your willingness and your ability to step outside your comfort zone and go for it! It’s not personal when someone says no, so don’t let it get you down!
4. Learn from your failures
It’s easy to fall into a negative state of mind, especially when you’re stressed or in a low mood. But spending time cultivating positive body language can actually help you feel happier and more confident.
Use your body as an extension of your mind, projecting confidence and happiness with every pose and gesture. Stand up straight; don’t slouch over your desk at work or sit down on public transportation looking defeated.
Move confidently and purposefully, and use broad gestures (this is what psychologists call expansive or high power nonverbal communication) instead of small gestures (which come across as weak).
Smile often and make eye contact with people who look like they need it — basically do everything possible to signal that you are not someone to be trifled with.
Learning from your failures will only make you stronger. No one succeeds on their first try every time. Be proud of yourself for each step you take in growth, and don’t let a failure stop you from pushing forward and learning.
The most successful people aren’t afraid of failure; they learn from it and use it as a stepping stone toward success. Keep pushing forward! You can learn a lot from your failures. First, you should ask yourself why you failed.
Was it because of a lack of effort? Was it due to a lack of ability? Or did something else cause you not to succeed? If you are honest about what caused your failure, you will be able to avoid future failure by applying what you have learned in order to be successful.
5. Ask questions
people love talking about themselves, and asking questions is a good way to get them talking. A good conversation is an easy way to find common ground with others and build relationships.
Asking questions also helps you learn more about your industry while informing you of what people are looking for from you as a business or individual.
You can use these insights to give your audience what they want. When in doubt, just ask how? And let people talk about themselves — they’ll appreciate it!
Thinking on your feet is a vital part of being a charismatic person. In order to do so, however, you must be able to ask intelligent questions. If there’s one technique that I really believe in for increasing your charisma, it’s learning how to ask good questions.
If you know how to ask questions, you can learn anything. Be curious and be interested in what other people have to say. Questions are powerful conversation starters and great ways of understanding more about your peers and even yourself.
Whether they’re personal or professional questions, think of them as opportunities rather than impertinent intrusions. The more you ask, the more people will ask you; when that happens, your social circle will quickly expand. And who knows?
6. Use positive body language,
Just as important as speaking, is listening. Since listening plays such a vital role in interpersonal relationships, it makes sense that you should try to be an effective listener.
When you’re having a conversation with someone, remember that you shouldn’t be thinking about what you’re going to say next or who else might want your attention; being fully present will allow you not only to remember more of what’s said, but also come across as a better conversationalist.
The other person will feel like he or she has your undivided attention and likely return the favor. Asking questions helps establish mutual trust and demonstrates interest — two important components for any relationship.
Get creative by learning how to ask open-ended questions that provoke deeper thought and encouraging others to participate in conversations.
The way you carry yourself physically can be just as influential as what you say verbally. Using positive body language, such as keeping your head up, shoulders back and spine straight, conveys confidence.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to communicate confidence during a job interview or on a first date — confidence is attractive no matter what.
Body language accounts for about 55% of all communication, so it’s important to have a powerful and confident presence. One way you can express your power is by standing tall.
With good posture and maintaining eye contact with others. When you walk into a room, make sure that you command attention and respect. Keep these body language tips in mind.
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