Word/term for "the ability to affect history or make things happen"?

Question

I'm looking for a word, but I'm not entirely sure one exists that fits exactly what I'm looking for.

The concept is "the ability to affect events" or "the ability to inexplicably make things happen." It's a tendency for certain people to just be able to do great things, while others can never quite make them happen, even though their resources are roughly the same.

The idea was originally inspired by superhero stories: Batman has no superpowers, and yet there's something about him that makes him unstoppable, unbeatable, and eternally capable. Other non-powered characters (like Green Arrow or Lex Luthor) may be similarly skillful or well-equipped or intelligent, and yet they just don't seem to have that thing that allows Batman to stand alongside godlike figures such as Superman.

Similarly, the Penguin is able to pull off a lot of unlikely, impressive feats and capers, but the Joker is just SO much more... what? That's the word I'm looking for. It's more ephemeral than "capable," more deliberate than "lucky." The Joker can just make things happen. If he wants to smuggle bombs into a building under police guard, he can; if he gets thrown out of a building, he'll somehow survive. It's like he's got a cheat code in the universe.

But it's not just fictional characters. Modern or historical people are often thought of in a similar way, where some people just seem to be able to affect history or pull things off, inexplicably or without an easy distinction we could point to that separates them from others.

A few more examples, to give you an idea of the distinction I'm making:

• It's what Winston Churchill had, that Neville Chamberlain didn't.
• It's what Steve Jobs had, that Steve Wozniak didn't.
• Hitler had a LOT of it, as did Alexander the Great, Osama bin Laden, Augustus Caesar, or Rasputin.
• Sherlock Holmes has more of it than John Watson does, Frodo has more of it than Sam does.
• The Greek Heroes (like Achilles and Hercules) had more of it than the average Greek soldier or citizen did.

Obviously these people may have had talent, charisma, intelligence, or skill that helped them, but oftentimes there's nothing we can point to and say "that's why they could do those things," it's just like the person has an aura or ability that others don't have. In fictional/entertainment circles you might call it "star-power," or even just say "they have it." In historical/business circles you might say "potency" or "potential." The French phrase je ne sais quoi is often used, but that phrase literally means "I don't know what."

Does anyone know if there is a term for this quality? I'm not saying that such a thing actually exists, in the sense of being measurable, but in the same way that people would say that someone has "the touch" or "leads a charmed life," we would say that they have incredible "_____________"?

Answer 1

Orenda

The force of human will, in opposition to fate or destiny, to affect the world.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/orenda
a supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orenda
extraordinary invisible power believed by the Iroquois Indians to pervade in varying degrees all animate and inanimate natural objects as a transmissible spiritual energy capable of being exerted according to the will of its possessor

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=orenda
a supernatural, divine force within every human being. Always omnipresent. It empowers people to change the world in a positive, loving way. It is the energy that effects change in One's own life. "That inspirational speaker lifted me up so much with her 'orenda'. She made me feel that energy within myself to change the world for the better, through changing myself."

http://io9.com/5905257/10-untranslatable-words-and-when-youll-want-to-use-them
the invocation of the power of human will to change the world around us. It is set up to be the opposing force to fate or destiny. If powerful forces beyond your control are trying to force you one way, orenda is a kind of voiced summoning of personal strength to change fate.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/orenda
invisible magic power believed by the Iroquois to pervade all natural objects as a spiritual energy.

Also see Google results for "orenda definition"

Answer 2

I think influence may suggest what you are referring to: (from TFD)

• A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort:

Charisma:

• a special personal quality or power of an individual making him capable of influencing or inspiring large numbers of people.

Probably a mix of the two characteristics can define what you are looking for.

Answer 3

Je ne sais quoi comes to mind as a loan phrase. It is used as a certain something in English also. [I first didn't realize that you mentioned this French term in the question but I explained, in detail below, why it is a good fit.]

Another term that comes to mind is x-factor (also x factor).

As you can see in the examples below, there are also terms like leadership presence and executive presence that are used in certain contexts. Though, you can apply x presence to different contexts. For example:

The “star presence” of great actors is one of the most compelling and powerful aspects of the movies we love.

^{http://www.movingimage.us/films/2014/07/20/detail/star-presence-on-screen/}

You have a variety of examples from different contexts, so that je ne sais quoi or x-factor is a better fit. (Details follow.)

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Je ne sais quoi

An intangible quality that makes something distinctive or attractive.

She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her.

^{http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/je_ne_sais_quoi}

From Wikipedia's Leadership article:

None of the old theories successfully address the challenge of developing "leadership presence"; that certain "something" in leaders that commands attention, inspires people, wins their trust and makes followers want to work with them.

From an article titled "The Five Greatest Superpowers of Moderator Superheroes":

There's no other way to put it – some people just have a super ability to charm an audience, be it with wit, personality, manners, or a combination of all these things. You can choose a moderator who seems like a perfectly nice girl or guy, but by finding someone with that je ne sais quoi, that extra skill to win over the audience with their natural style, you're ensuring a valuable bond between the attendees and the moderator.

^{http://adage.com/article/btob/greatest-superpowers-moderator-superheroes/290646/}

From an article on Financial Post:

Executive presence is easy to see but hard to define, which may be why there is precious little in today’s voluminous literature on leadership indicating exactly what it is or how to acquire it. Do a Google search and you’ll find articles that talk about confidence, communications, appearance, maturity and other factors but that aren’t much more helpful than that. It’s what the French call je ne sais quoi.

^{http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/29/executive-presence-the-other-reason-business-leaders-are-asked-to-leave/}

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X-factor

a special quality, especially one that is essential for success and is difficult to describe

^{http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/x-factor}

X factor means some advantageous quality that someone or something is attributed to have, a quality that is regarded as mysterious and difficult to describe or isolate.

^{http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/x+factor}

Below is an example in a business context:

Most of us have watched it happen in the workplace. There’s a go-to person in the organization who gets everything done. Never misses a deadline, never forgets a detail, but never gets promoted into a senior position. Meanwhile, others break through to the next level. Leaders listen to them; subordinates recognize their authority. What do those people have that the other highly competent manager lacks?

In the corporate world, that missing ingredient is often referred to as executive presence. Most people recognize it when they see it, but quantifying it is almost impossible.

Essentially, these people possess the business "X factor.”

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-according-them/201302/do-you-have-the-leadership-x-factor

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Bonus: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JokerImmunity

Answer 4

Greatness is the term that comes to my mind.

exceptionally high quality <a poet whose work is of enduring greatness>
(Source: Merriam-Webster)

It is an established term to refer to people that appear to be innately better than everyone else.

Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person, object. Greatness can also be referred to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than all others. ...
(Source: Wikipedia)

Answer 5

The only single word that comes to mind, "Rainmaker." Do you need to shrink this to one word? If space isn't an issue, I like your comparisons of Jobs and Wozniak, Holmes and Watson.

Answer 6

'Gravitas' is something to consider.

Answer 7

In a limited context, statesmanship.

In a broader context, wisdom (not the same as brains or intelligence).

With regard to bold risk-taking, chutzpah.

That "whatever-it-is" may be called spark.

You're looking for a word that includes them all, yes?

Answer 8

Flair Dicitonary.com:

1. a natural talent, aptitude, or ability; bent; knack
2. smartness of style, manner, etc.
3. keen, intuitive perception or discernment

From Valuewalk.com, Apple Inc. CEO: Is Tim Cook Better Than Steve Jobs?, by Aman Jain, August 25, 2014:

Cook’s slight under-performance could be attributed to his lacking flair for innovation, says a report from Cult of Mac.

Mettle Merriam Webster:

1a. vigor and strength of spirit or temperament

From The American Scholar, The Forgotten Churchill, by George Watson, Jun3, 2011:

Nigel Nicolson used to tell how at first meeting in the Commons he had asked the old man in his second premiership what the most important quality was in public life, and how Churchill had replied briefly “mettle” and returned to his racing paper.

Mojo (You can't leave that out!) YourDictionary.com:

good luck, charm or skill that seems to come from something magical or supernatural

which also suggests magic and charm

Spirit Merriam Webster:

temper or disposition of mind or outlook especially when vigorous or animated

Answer 9

Movers and shakers have extreme effectivity.

Answer 10

Personal 'gravity' occurs when people effect history. Affecting anything appears coincidental (lacking the staying power of a real 'purpose'), however attributable :)

Answer 11

How about "ingenuity" or "human ingenuity"? This implies not only inventiveness but also the ability to make things happen with the concept.

Answer 12

Alchemist....a person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process.