Developing Charisma: A Science Based Workshop

Wednesday, April 8, 5pm – 7pm

• Part 1: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Part 2: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Attend one or both parts. If you attended the previous Developing Charisma workshop, then you can attend this workshop but can’t count it toward GradEL’s Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership.

Description

Charisma: it’s not innate, it can be learned, and this workshop will show you how. Join us on April 8 for a two-part workshop that turns rigorous behavioral science into practical tools you can use immediately: on campus, in interviews, and online. 

Part 1: The Science of First Impressions

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

This practical session gives you concrete, research-backed tools to make strong first impressions both in person and online. Drawing on social psychology and neuroscience, we break down:

• How first impressions are really formed and why they’re so hard to undo
• What people notice most in the first moments of an interaction
• Which signals matter far more than most people realize

You’ll learn what works and why. You’ll get a chance to try out the tools in the workshop, and learn how to adapt them to your own specific needs and objectives. 

Part 2: The Science of Charisma

Long believed to be an innate trait, charisma has now been broken down by research into specific, observable behaviors. In controlled laboratory experiments, researchers were able to raise or lower a person’s level of charisma almost as if turning a dial.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• The core components of charismatic presence
• How to be charismatic (even as an introvert)
• How to remain charismatic under pressure

Becoming more charismatic doesn’t mean changing your personality. It means adopting specific practices that work with the personality you already have, whether you’re speaking in a meeting, leading a group, or participating on Zoom. 

What you’ll find here is practical magic: insight drawn from multiple sciences, combined with techniques you can use immediately.

This two-part workshop is designed for technical minds who want to maximize their impact. All MIT undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to take part in the whole workshop or to choose the part that best meets your needs.

Leader

Olivia Fox Cabane is a leading authority on the science of charisma and the bestselling author of The Charisma Myth and The Net And The Butterfly, translated into 36 languages.

Formerly Director of Innovative Leadership for Stanford StartX, she has lectured on charisma, leadership, and innovation at Harvard, Yale, MIT, the Marine War College, and the United Nations.

Her clients include founders of Airbnb, Brex, Paradigm, and Presight, as well as the leadership of Google, TikTok, Deloitte, UBS, and JP Morgan. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal.

As cofounder of the KindEarth.Tech Foundation, she supports foodtech companies advancing environmental sustainability.

Olivia is fluent in four languages and was the youngest person ever appointed Foreign Trade Advisor to the French Government.

Wednesday, April 8, 5pm – 7pm

• Part 1: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Part 2: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Attend one or both parts. If you attended the previous Developing Charisma workshop, then you can attend this workshop but can’t count it toward GradEL’s Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership.

Add this workshop to your calendar using the “Add to Calendar” link below. (That does not register you for the workshop. Use the above link to register.)