September 7, 2012
Resonant Leaders
One of the leadership approaches with which I really connect is that of resonant leadership, which stems from the emotional intelligence concepts developed by Daniel Goleman. The 2002 book Primal Leadership, by Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee, states “One sign of resonant leadership is a group of followers who vibrate with the leader’s upbeat and enthusiastic energy. A primal leadership dictum is that resonance amplifies and prolongs the emotional impact of leadership.” Wow! That is exactly how I try to lead the people with whom I am entrusted. Each time I’m with my team, I try to make sure that I am full of life and energy to the point of being contagious. I have found that my team will reflect my energy level, my commitment, and my passion for the mission before us.
Goleman et al. also provide us with another great reminder of how we are to lead. They say, “Resonance reinforces synchrony just as much as enthusiasm does, because it leaves people feeling understood and cared for.” Double wow! How many times have each of us been in a situation with someone we were following and we felt neither “understood or cared for”?! As we lead, like the humble and servant leaders we have discussed in previous posts on this blog, we must make sure that we aren’t so bent on being the only person in the room with a valid perspective that we don’t allow others to have their voice and be understood. And even more important, we must always leave people with the feeling that we care for them, though not just a feeling, they must know that we do. Through my decades of leading small and large groups of staff and lots volunteers, I have discovered that if I first care for the people, they will be much more willing and enthusiastic about following wherever I have dreamed for us to go.
Lead well.