The blame for the closure of UK charity, Kids Company, this month was firmly put at the door of Camila Batmanghelidjh. She took charisma to a whole new level with her colourful dress code and passionate appeals for the young people that the charity supported. Yet “too much charisma and too few management skills”, has been the refrain around its demise. As I head up to the Edinburgh Fringe, a festival filled with charisma, I realise that every talent comes with an equal opportunity for that talent to be abused. Can you be a charismatic leader who is also effective?
There is a saying in the entertainment world, “aggravation exceeds talent”, which means that however brilliant the act is working with them is simply too much trouble. We’re brought up to believe that we need to be the best to succeed, but there is always the danger of believing your own publicity. The most important thing a charismatic leader can do is learn how to temper that charisma and use it to build others up, rather than bring them down.
In the comedy world that means knowing how to speak to promoters, booking your own gigs, invoicing your fees and creating publicity. All of these will earn you brownie points when it comes to the management beauty parade. If you can prove that you are exciting to work with and prepared to go the extra mile in terms of hard work, you are more likely to get picked up by an agent.
The reality is, however, that the most charismatic leaders tend not to be very good at the day to day admin. The solution to this is to surround yourself with people who can help you. The investment in a good accountant or virtual PA will enable you to spend more time doing the bits you enjoy and are good at. Just remember to sing their praises and reward them for their work, they’re the people that allow you to shine and without them you’d be nowhere. Also remember to listen to their advice. Knowing what you’re not good at means also knowing when you’re wrong, if your accountant is telling you there’s a problem, listen to them.
Running my own business, I have often needed access to business expertise but could not always afford the fees. This all changed when a kind friend and clever business woman, Julia Streets, suggested that we create an advisory board. Together we pooled the minds and expertise of a cross section of excellent professional women who agreed to give their time on an ad hoc basis and meet four times a year to develop strategy. They got another credential for their CVs and we had advice on tap. If you can’t afford to bring in help then use your network. Find people who believe in you and ask them for help. After all, if you don’t ask, you definitely won’t get.
Seeing a charity with such a high profile and huge amounts of government money disappear so suddenly is both sad and, for a business owner, a clear warning. With Batmanhelidjh’s endless supply of charisma surely she could have tapped into the expertise and skills that must have been available to her via a board of trustees and high profile business supporters? We’ll probably never know exactly what happened but we can try and learn from her.
Charisma is an incredible business skill to have. It will allow you to grow your business faster than simple facts and numbers, and it will bring brilliant and talented people into your circle. Just remember, however, that charisma on it’s own isn’t enough. It needs to be tempered with structure, resilience and accountability. Without those things, we’re all just circling the drain.
Lynne Parker will be running the Funny Women Weekend Comedy Academy at Edinburgh Fringe. Join the Funny Women Accidental Conference at the early bird rate here.
