ABSTRACT
Charisma is generally defined from a male vantage point such that few women are characterized as charismatic. Strong women leaders displaying bold and aggressive characteristics are likely to be criticized and viewed negatively, while the same characteristics are admired in men. We need new definitions of what charisma means and how it is manifested among women. In analyzing narratives among women leaders of different ethnicities from the United States, Hong Kong, and Australia, women communicate their charisma via a smile or communal nurturing qualities while men communicate their charisma via their strength and physical presence in their ability to persuade others.
