Resonant Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

Resonant Leadership

Resonance means reinforcing sound by moving on the same wavelength. As Leaders, we have the power to impact the emotional states of the people around us—those who are moving on the same wavelength. We can have a positive effect by pulling everyone upward, or a negative effect (dissonance) by moving against the emotions of others. Resonant leaders use their emotional intelligence to give directions to help a group meet its goals.

Four Resonant Leadership Styles

Visionary – Share the big picture with the group and inspire them to reach our goals.
Coaching – Focus on personal development in one-on-one interactions.
Affiliative – Build relationships and collaboration using empathy.
Democratic – Draw on the knowledge of the group to collaborate in decision making.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the idea that a leader’s ability to understand and manage emotions greatly increases their whole team’s chances of success. As a leader, this means that you think about feelings every day and you are self- and socially aware of emotions and their impact on yourself and those around you. You can show empathy by understanding the thoughts and feelings of others and use that to connect with them. You develop a habit of keeping your commitments. And, you protect yourself, and your team, from emotional sabotage such as manipulation.