ees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor mTelevision producer Mark Goodson invariably responded to the question, “How do you select people to appear as contestants on your shows?” with the same answer: “We look for three things. Personality, personality and personality.” Mr. Goodson’s response applies not only to the selection of people to appear on TV reality and game shows, but to applicants for high-level management jobs.

When jobs of high caliber, such as COO, CEO and President, are vacated, there are many qualities to be considered in an applicant, qualities such as capability, experience, and education. But the quality that is most likely to facilitate acquiring such lucrative positions, and there’s no doubt about it among the experts, is that part of some personalities called charisma.

Not everyone has charisma, the quality that gives a personality influence over large numbers of people, people who follow not because they have to, but because they want to. Jack Welch, GE’s former Chairman and Chief Executive, has genuine charisma. So does actor Jack Nicholson, and the late columnist, Mike Royko. Mark Goodson himself had it. Harry S. Truman had it, and Seabiscuit, the Thoroughbred racehorse, had it.

Charisma can be a trait that, while helping employees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor mo

reality and game shows, but to applicants for high-level management jobs.

When jobs of high caliber, such as COO, CEO and President, are vacated, there are many qualities to be considered in an applicant, qualities such as capability, experience, and education. But the quality that is most likely to facilitate acquiring such lucrative positions, and there’s no doubt about it among the experts, is that part of some personalities called charisma.

Not everyone has charisma, the quality that gives a personality influence over large numbers of people, people who follow not because they have to, but because they want to. Jack Welch, GE’s former Chairman and Chief Executive, has genuine charisma. So does actor Jack Nicholson, and the late columnist, Mike Royko. Mark Goodson himself had it. Harry S. Truman had it, and Seabiscuit, the Thoroughbred racehorse, had it.

Charisma can be a trait that, while helping employees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor m

itate acquiring such lucrative positions, and there’s no doubt about it among the experts, is that part of some personalities called charisma.

Not everyone has charisma, the quality that gives a personality influence over large numbers of people, people who follow not because they have to, but because they want to. Jack Welch, GE’s former Chairman and Chief Executive, has genuine charisma. So does actor Jack Nicholson, and the late columnist, Mike Royko. Mark Goodson himself had it. Harry S. Truman had it, and Seabiscuit, the Thoroughbred racehorse, had it.

Charisma can be a trait that, while helping employees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor m

want to. Jack Welch, GE’s former Chairman and Chief Executive, has genuine charisma. So does actor Jack Nicholson, and the late columnist, Mike Royko. Mark Goodson himself had it. Harry S. Truman had it, and Seabiscuit, the Thoroughbred racehorse, had it.

Charisma can be a trait that, while helping employees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor m

ees in management get to the top of their professions, can cause some serious problems later, if a dark side shows itself. Some top executives who look good to their peers and their bosses and who do well on most assessments, turn out to be terrible for their companies, and end up being costly by creating poor morale, excessive turnover, and reducing productivity. Sometimes they can ruin a company altogether.

Many corporations hire experts to handle the job interview, experts who know how to differentiate between genuine charisma, of which self-confidence is the basis, and variations of it, which have a dark side, an almost grandiose sense of certainty with a disdain for subordinates.

One whose assessments expose the dark side, if it’s lurking within a charismatic job candidate, is Robert Hogan, Ph. D., President, Hogan Assessment Systems (HAS), Tulsa OK. HAS pioneered the use of personality measures for making organizational decisions by predicting on-the-job performances, particularly aspects associated with “attitude.” Dr. Hogan’s 25 years of development, refinement and validation supply the tools which provide valuable information for in-depth developmental feedback.

“Besides intelligence and a knack for strategic planning, good managers have enormous charm and energy,” said Dr. Hogan. “Charisma ... concerns sparkling, shining, and seeming very attractive.” The key word is ‘seeming.’

“Three of the 10 major personality disorders are also characterized by charisma,” said Dr. Hogan, “they are Narcissistic, Psychopat