8. Be humble; laugh at yourself.
9. Never use humor at someone else's expense.
10. Do not be cruel or speak cruelly of others.
11. Show your passion: be positive, energetic and optimistic.
12. Become less selfish and more selfless.
The real core of charisma comes from being yourself and being open to learning about who you really are. In fact, charisma is the natural end-result of psychologist Abraham Maslow's concept of self-actualization -- "the full realization of one's potential."
According to Maslow, people who are self-actualized are more authentic, transparent about their goals and committed to using their own resources to enrich the lives of others. The more self-actualized we become, the better we are able to focus and find excitement by living in the moment.
Ask yourself: Have you ever met an unhappy charismatic person? The more we strive to grow as individuals, the more charismatic we will become to juries, judges, other lawyers and our clients. Like anything else that's new, it just takes practice.
Lisa Blue is a partner in Baron and Blue in Dallas and holds a Ph.D. in psychology. Robert B. Hirschhorn is an attorney and president of Cathy E. Bennett & Associates in Lewisville, Texas.
