Nigel Farage’s charisma has been present throughout his career. Whether you love him or hate him, you cannot deny his impact on UK politics. Farage has created his own brand of charisma, which has helped him stand out among other politicians, and the reason I believe he could be the next UK Prime Minister.
Charisma is a key component in the success of any politician; some focus on policy, others put their attention on campaigning. The truth is, if you want people to vote for you, then you need to be able to influence and persuade others in a charismatic way. Lets look at the techniques Farage uses to deliver this intense magnetism.
Nigel Farage’s Charisma Breakdown
Here is a breakdown of the charismatic techniques Farage uses:
- Pub Style Language
- Us vs Them framing
- Humour & Sarcasm
Pub Style Language
One thing that most politicians get wrong is that they speak in the wrong language. They throw around Jargon, describe complicated policies, and use long, complicated words to be perceived as ‘smarter’ or more educated. Farage refuses that and speaks to people like he is having a conversation in a pub. Down to earth and simple.
A study by Reber et al., 2004 discovered a simple charismatic technique called **“Processing Fluency”.** This Processing effect is our brain’s bias towards information that is simple and easy to understand. The easier it is for our brains to understand, process and analyse it the more we feel comfortable with the idea and perceive the speaker as more truthful.
Phrases like:
- “I want my country back!”
- “We’re sick of being talked down to by people who’ve never had a proper job.”
- “This isn’t complicated. It’s about being free to make your own laws and run your own country.”
Are examples of Farage taking very complicated topics and boiling them down so that they are clear and simple to understand.
Example
In this example, he is asked the question why 3 government policies would he introduce.
It was almost poetic who he was able to make these simple, easy to understand, and it made his argument very compelling, they were:
- Tell the Truth about the economic situation
- Take back control of our borders, that’s what people voted for in Brexit
- Keep Working, Working, Working with other countries
A less charismatic politician may be tempted to give a very logical and detailed answer to this question, but when Nigel says it, the Processing effect takes place. It’s easy to understand, our brains can process it quickly, I do not need a 2nd interpretation, and it’s very persuasive.
The little gag at the start was charming as well, but we will come into that later.
Us vs Theme Framing
Humans are very tribal, and while we like to think we are an evolved society, in reality, we are still cavemen. As humans, we want to have the feeling of ‘belonging’ and we follow leaders who can create that. Donald Trump is another example who creates a powerful ‘us vs them’ culture.
Research by Haslam et al., 2011 found that in order for a leader to motivate a legion of devoted followers, they must first be in one of these categories:
- ‘be one of us’ (identity prototypicality)
- ‘do it for us’ (identity advancement)
- ‘craft a sense of us’ (identity entrepreneurship)
- ‘embed a sense of us’ (identity impresarioship)
You can see how the image below illustrates how crafting each of these identities, you can create a sense of ‘we and us’.
The study found that leaders who create a sense of ‘us’ are more effective at influencing and persuading.
Example
Farage is discussing here how the political establishment are joining forces to stop the will of citizens:
Nigel Farage’s charisma shows through in this example. He is creating a us vs them framing, which makes his followers more loyal.
Humour and Sarcasm
The most obvious element of Nigel Farage’s charisma is his witty sense of humour and sarcasm. Whether he is throwing a jab at a rival political party leader, or he is giving banter to a guest on GB News, his humour is infectious.
Humour was found by Greengross & Miller (2011) to help build rapport, show confidence and reduce the perception of status difference. This is key for the likes of Nigel Farage, who wants to be seen as a ‘man of the people’.
Example
In this clip, Farage is responding to criticism that he spends too much time in the Westminster Arms, a local pub in the area of the parliament. His response was funny, poking at the chancellor, implyig she is out of touch with voters.
He could have easily not responded or recorded himself in a meeting room. Literally filming himself in the pub is humorous in itself.
My Take on Nigel Farage’s Charisma
Having studied Nigel Farage’s charisma, it’s quite obvious to me why he has achieved the level of success he has. He is incredibly likeable, and while I do not agree with all of his policies, he is a master of creating loyal followers. I believe this is down to his charisma and ability to portray himself as approachable and a ‘normal’ person. Which is refreshing when most politicians are Oxford or Eton educated and can be seen as elitist. Farage is just down-to-earth and it is really welcomed by voters; his smile, strong eye contact, and humour make him different.
I once heard the phrase “Politics is for people who want to be famous, but are not good-looking enough” I cannot help but think of Farage when I hear this phrase. While he does not have the looks or style of a celebrity, his wit and charm really does make him a household name.
Develop Your Charisma
If you want to be able to develop charisma like Nigel Farage, then charisma coaching could be for you. If you want to command attention when you walk into a room, create a lasting impression, be remembered for the RIGHT reasons then schedule your discovery call below:
