Something that has always intrigued me is the innate ability of some people to automatically command attention and respect. This magical quality of natural and unforced charisma is typically possessed by successful people and encompasses professions from art to zoology. Presence is not a physical or learned skill it is incorporated into the person.
When Joe Carlino, former speaker of the New York House of Representatives and later a prosperous lawyer, was in a room for social or business reasons everyone looked to him. He didn’t seek attention. It just happened like filings drawn to a magnet.
Like Joe Carlino, Louis Smullin, former Head of Electrical Engineering and Dean of Engineering at MIT, was not an especially prepossessing man. But when he entered a room the chemistry changed, and Lou took over without fuss or apparent effort. When people with the knack for leadership talk others listen and follow.
When size and personal dynamism are part of the flair the mix becomes more powerful. T. Vincent Learson, the tall, hawk-featured, unvarnished Chairman and CEO of IBM in the early 1970’s led effortlessly. As executive vice president in the early 1960’s, Learson was the driving force behind IBM’s successful multibillion-dollar gamble on the System/360 mainframe computer project. The 360 triumph gave IBM the mainframe lead for 20 years and paved Learson’s elevation to company leadership. With a rare combination of intellect, command, fear and respect, no businessperson dominated a room like T. Vincent Learson.
I was in a Chicago restaurant bar waiting with friends for a table. Michael Jordan was standing a few steps down the bar with two other men. Three young women were sitting in front of Michael. Michael tapped one of them on the shoulder and asked if he could set his drink down on the bar. She turned and screamed, “Oh my God it’s Michael and he touched me.”
When Ted Williams, who was often compared to John Wayne for size and presence, walked into a room or onto the field you simply didn’t see anyone else. With his Hollywood good looks and booming personality, opposing players, umpires and everybody else were completely transfixed. As a Boston sportswriter once wrote, “Ted is tall, tan and terrific.”