Jeff Bezos’ charisma is unconventional. While you cannot take away his achievement of creating Amazon, I have often argued with myself about whether he is actually charismatic. He certainly has the qualities of a good leader; however, does his influence and warmth make him the powerful persuader I know he can be?
Jeff Bezos’ Charisma
Bezos’ charisma does not manifest in the traditional sense, where we would consider body language, confidence, and rapport-building skills. Jeff Bezos’ charisma comes from his ability to communicate a vision, intensity, and emotional control.
What makes Jeff Bezos charismatic?
- Communicates a vision
- Intensity
- Emotional control
Communicates a Vision
The trap that most leaders fall into is that they communicate long-term goals and objectives in a logical manner. They use data, deadlines, and dates to compel their team to achieve a goal, for example:
“We need to hit our target this quarter. Can operations move another 4,000 units to get us there?”
This is probably very true, but not inspiring.
Researchers found that leaders who use image-based, metaphorical, and visionary language more frequently were considered to be more charismatic and were linked to “greatness.”
They found from studying two inaugural addresses from US presidents that speeches with high levels of image-based rhetoric, over data-driven language, were considered to be more charismatic.
Below is a table of image-based words and their counterparts:
Example
Take a look at this example of Jeff Bezos explaining his vision for Amazon:
You see, it can be easy for leaders to start explaining metrics and data to communicate their vision, but this never works. Charismatic leaders use storytelling, emotional language, and metaphors to paint a picture of the future they want one their team can rally behind.
Intensity
When Bezos speaks, he talks with such conviction that it is compelling to believe what he is saying. He does not use theatrical body language or humour to communicate; he almost says things with such seriousness that it can come off as a little robotic.
As a charisma coach, this tells me that he is confident in what he is saying, and he believes what he is saying. When he talks, he uses short, direct sentences, lots of pauses, and minimal body language.
Example
Look at his intensity in 1999 when he was asked about the future of internet-based companies and whether Amazon could be successful. This is a great example of Jeff Bezos’ charisma you just need to see his eye contact to tell that he believes what he is saying.
Now look at another US tech entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg, delivering one of his early interviews. He shares his predictions for the future of his company, Facebook.
He does not appear to have the same charming conviction that Bezos had at the same time. Which do you feel is more compelling and persuasive?
Emotional Control
This is where I sometimes have to reflect on my own interpretation of charisma. Jeff Bezos can be seen as cold or robotic; however, this can also be interpreted as stoic someone who controls his emotions. I would describe this as assertive charisma.
He is not the extroverted personality you would expect to see at a dinner party or car dealership, but rather displays the cool calmness you might expect from a samurai warrior.
Both can be charismatic, which is why it’s important not to assume charisma is only for extroverted individuals.
Todorov et al. (2005) conducted research on facial expressions and studied how voters reacted when seeing the face of a presidential candidate for just one second. Without learning anything about a candidate’s policies, participants were able to make snap judgments and predict a political leader’s competence, effectiveness, and charisma.
Let’s put it to the test!
The TV show The Apprentice aims to choose candidates based on their business prowess based solely on their faces. Who do you think was the winner?
Example
Take a look at when Bezos was grilled in Congress. He keeps his emotions under control, which is communicated through his word choice, body language, and tone.
Similarly, look at Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s CEO, and how he handles difficult questions in front of Congress. He makes strong eye contact, speaks with conviction, and does not use filler words like “umm” or “err.”
My Opinion on Jeff Bezos’ Charisma
When I decided to write this post, I was conflicted. There are examples where Bezos is very traditionally charismatic; however, there are other instances where he appears cold and disingenuous. In one interview, he is laughing and joking; in the next, he is regurgitating facts and data from his latest quarterly report.
I found it very hard to confirm whether he is, in fact, charismatic. What I will say is that he has created his own brand of charisma. I do believe he is probably the ruthless businessman you would expect, but there is also a human side to his communication.
I much preferred him when he was conducting fireside chats discussing his story of founding Amazon and passing on life advice and wisdom over when he was discussing the components of his business. These were almost two different people.
My advice to Jeff (if he is reading) is to focus on being more authentic. Drop the PR and media training and just be you because that version was far more compelling.
