How do you Feel about Rizz?

If you’re just returning from an extended festive break, you may have missed the crowning of ‘Rizz’ as Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year.

When I mentioned rizz to my two teenage sons – curious if they knew the meaning of the word – they laughed. Of course they did.

For the uninitiated, it means ‘pertaining to someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness.’

You might think of it as charisma, which the dictionary defines slightly differently, as ‘compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.’

When I heard about rizz, I felt slightly disheartened. As an Executive Coach, I wondered if we are in danger of valuing the superficial over the substantial. Rizz without reason - charisma without competence - might not serve leaders and their organizations well.

Rizz without Reason

Rizz is attractive, but rizz without reason is dangerous territory. It’s akin to charisma without competence.

Think about famously charismatic leaders. Some blend the rizz and reason well, and maintain that balance – others don’t.

Perhaps Nelson Mandela offers a great example. His readiness to move ahead after 27 years in prison – focused on uniting people after decades of division. His ability to motivate with a quiet word or a gentle suggestion. His rizz derived more from the respect he engendered and his deep empathy, rather than any show of razzamatazz.

How about an example of a leader who initially led with reason and then succumbed to the lure of his own rizz? Possibly Napoleon? Confident, strategic, calm under pressure – all displayed in his recapturing of Toulon from the British early in his career. Later however, his failed Russian campaign displayed misplaced confidence, strategic failings and a fundamental misunderstanding of his adversary’s character.

Examples of charismatic political leaders are multiple – the toxic combination of rizz and destructive ideologies leaving human rights abuses and death in their wake.

Rizz in the World of Business

Who would you say combines charisma with competence? And who doesn’t?

Whether you find someone charismatic and competent typically relates to the overlap of your values.

Perhaps Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson belong to the brigade of business leaders who possess rizz and reason. Possibly Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos and Bernie Madoff of the world’s largest Ponzi scheme combine the ability to attract with a lack of ethics, reason and competence.

What is your Rizz Quotient?

Confidence can be displayed audibly or quietly, through a willingness to take risks, or an ability to think and act strategically.

Style can be communicated through mannerisms, appearance, likes and dislikes, tone of voice and who you associate with. ?

How do you display confidence and how would others define your style? Are you comfortable in large groups, one-one-ones, speaking from a stage, or speaking extempore?

Do you know why people value your presence and your contributions? Do you know what behaviours you could enhance to increase your rizz quotient?

Interestingly, another word of the year was ‘authentic’, from Merriam-Webster. Though this was mainly in relation to the advent of AI and the danger of fake, it complements Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year well.

We all know what fake feels like in a person.

Is the message, above all, don’t fake the rizz?

Andrea Stone is an Executive Coach working with leadership and their teams to create sustainable success. Her focus is on emotionally intelligent leadership to drive smarter decision making.

She is a former multi-award-winning global marketing leader in tech-driven organizations, and has led teams across multiple geographies in Europe and Asia.

? Andrea Stone, Stone Leadership