I have stated in previous posts that I am not a leader
in the traditional sense of the word. Though I am not a supervisor in charge of
a team at work, I still can be a leader. As I reflect on the instances where I
have been a leader, I believe I am an effective leader. I always try to treat
everyone with respect and listen to his or her concerns. I always try to get
the input of the team and not to take it upon myself to make the decisions. This
week I had the opportunity to complete the exercise entitled “Am I a Resonant
Leader”, offered by McKee, Boyatzis & Johnston (2008). As I completed the
exercise, I realized that my leadership may not be as effective as I once believed,
as I fall short in various resonant categories.
Though I try to remain positive, I have never seen
myself as an inspirational leader. When I was younger, I was not the kid who
would be looked upon to create some sort of trend. When I was placed into teams
in school, I was not the student who had inspirational ideas or pushed the
group to create. Learning that I fall short as an inspirer does not surprise
me, but I do need to become more inspirational to become a resonant leader.
Zenger & Folkman (2013) stated that inspirational leaders were able to
create the greatest levels of commitment from their followers.
Inspirational leaders have an ability to create a
clear vision and communicate well with their followers (Zenger & Folkman,
2013). Creating a clear vision and communicating are two other elements that I
need to work on as a resonant leader.
When I set an internal goal, I tend not to listen to
the outside noise as I am 100% dedicated to the goal. This motivation could be
inspirational to some people and distract others. It could be inspirational in
the fact that I do not let anything get in the way of my goal but could be
distracting because I get so caught up in the goal that I fail to lead.
Boyatzis & McKee (2005) stated that hope is one of
the key elements to resonant leadership. I have always considered myself neither
an optimist nor pessimist, but more of a realist. I say I am a realist, but I
do try to set an emotional tone that is characterized by hope. I just do not
like to create false hope as I believe false hope only results in negative
feelings. However, I try to hope for the best and radiate that positive
emotion. Each year before the annual audit, I always tell my supervisor how we
are going to finish with another clean audit. I tell her that we were thorough
in the preparation of the audit reports, so the audit will come out clean. I
remain positive in my thoughts and verbalize these positive thoughts to both my
leader and coworkers.
Another area that I feel I fall short in relation to
resonant leadership is being in touch with others. I try to remain in touch with the people
around me but have a hard time succeeding. According to Fletcher (2012), a
critical skill for leaders is emotional intelligence, where individuals are in
tune with the emotions of the others around them. This is a leadership
component in which I must focus on. I feel that I fail in connecting with the
emotions of individuals around me for two reasons.
First, I always look for the best in everyone. I
assume that everyone has positive intentions and therefore do not spend time
judging or tuning in to emotions. I am not saying that my coworkers or followers
have toxic plans, but assuming everyone is positive could be a downfall for a
leader. Also, I tend to see everything through my eyes. I have a terrible habit
of thinking that everyone emotionally responds the same way that I do. There
are times when my girlfriend, coworker, or colleague will tell me that just
because I see something one way does not mean that everyone else sees it the
same way. I must be more cognizant of other’s emotions and spend more time
gauging my surroundings in an effort to become a resonant leader.
One element of resonant leadership that I feel I excel
in is compassion. I care deeply for each individual in my life. I would much
rather chose to sacrifice than see anyone I know left wanting. I make sure to
ask my coworkers how their day is going each time I see them. During the
year-end process, there are some coworkers who have more responsibility than
me. Before I leave each night, I ask my remaining coworkers if there is
anything I can do to help. I feel deeply for the coworkers who have to put in
copious amounts of overtime and want to ease their workload any way that I can.
When I have a friend moving, I always ask when I need to be there to help. I
have come to realize that I do not have the resources to create real change in
this world. I cannot donate large sums of money to help feed the poor. However,
I can compassionately donate my time and energy to become an everyday leader.
McKee, Boyatzis & Johnston (2008), stated that
resonant leaders should be in tune with themselves, others, and the
environment. I wish I could say that I was always in tune with myself, but I
would be lying. I am aware that I have communication issues. I may verbally say
I feel one way, but my body language and facial expressions contradict what I
say. According to McKay, Davis, & Fanning (2009), approximately 55% of all communication
comes from body movements such as facial expressions.
There are times
where someone will ask me why I am upset when I am perfectly fine. The issue is
that my expressions tell a different story. I must work to correct the
disconnection between my expressions and mood as it is creating communications
issues. How am I supposed to lead and be in tune with a person with emotional
intelligence when they can see that I am not even in tune with myself?
This exercise taught me that my ability to lead is not
as effective as I believed. A resonant leader is able to inspire their
followers, be in touch with the people around them, and utilize emotional
intelligence to be in tune with others and the environment. There are various
areas that I need to improve as I become a resonant leader.
References
Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Publishing.
Fletcher, S. (2012). 5 reasons why emotional
intelligence is critical for leaders. Retrieved from http://leadchangegroup.com/5-reasons-why-emotional-intelligence-is-critical-for-leaders/
McKay,
M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages:
The communication skills book. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
McKee,
A., Boyatzis, R. & Johnston, F. ( 2008). Becoming a resonant leader. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Publishing.
Zenger,
J., & Folkman, J. (2013). What inspiring leaders do. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/06/what-inspiring-leaders-do
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