Yesterday we discussed the importance of emotional resonance with regard to effectively reaching an audience (ala Ze Frank). Resonance is an imperative tool for organizers to strive to comprehend, especially when trying to encourage or inspire any sort of group action.

Primal Leadership: The Ascent of Resonance-Consciousness

In 2005, David Goleman authored a book entitled Primal Leadership (co-authored with Annie McKee and Richard Boyatzis) that recognized the significance of resonant leadership. Done wrong, the style appears to be what Michael Scott of The Office is often sloppily fumbling to emulate—the maintenance of a stale, “authentic” connection to his employees. Done right, maintaining a sense of emotional resonance with a base of people requires of the leader the cultivation of emotional intelligence.

The website Values Based Management has a page devoted to Goleman’s concentration on resonance and his leadership styles. It breaks down the assessment of the resonant leader:

“Effective leaders are attuned to other people’s feelings and move them in a positive emotional direction.They speak authentically about their own values, direction and priorities and resonate with the emotions of surrounding people. Under the guidance of an effective leader, people feel a mutual comfort level. Resonance comes naturally to people with a high degree of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) but involves also intellectual aspects.”

Ze Frank: Resonance Conscious

We spoke yesterday about resonance in the context of Ze Frank and his assertion that it is one of the most important variables when connecting with a crowd. Frank recently put an open call out (via twitter) for folks who were down with giving up their Facebook profiles – and handing them over to him for a week. He received so many responses to his request that he had to take it down nearly immediately. Again, Ze Frank “gets it,” and in the context of this more in-depth study on resonance, it becomes clear that by saying he “gets it,” I am very likely implying that Frank:

1. Has a high emotional intelligence.
2. Knows how to translate said emotional intelligence into a connection/trust with his fellow Twitter users so strong that they are willing to grant him access to their Internet identities – something many of us try hard to keep out of the hands of strangers.

“Resonant Leader Is One in Tune with Himself, Others”

After the release of Primal Leadership, USA Today also looked at Goleman’s take on leadership and resonance. The article, Resonant Leader Is One in Tune with Himself, Others, describes the resonant leader as “in tune with him or herself, and the people they work with.”

The article offers the following conditions for being a resonant leader:

• Mindfulness. The awareness of what is really happening within your body, mind, heart and spirit, while paying attention to what is going on around you. [Mindfulness] can be gained from meditation, prayer, exercise, music and being in nature.
• Hope. They cite research describing hope as charting a course of action on clearly articulated goals, believing the goals can be met and eventually reaching them with a sense of well-being.
• Compassion. To be truly resonant with others, you must genuinely care about them.

Watching the projects Frank is involved with, from his daily webcast to his Color Wars project, he displays an immersion in each of these conditions. He is clearly mindful of himself, his performance, and his audience. His hope in his own projects is displayed clearly by how explicitly he defines and completes his goals (his show lasted for exactly one year). And finally, it is clear that Frank cares about the people who pay attention to him. He is compassionate. He takes time out for the people who recognize him on the street. He takes care to craft the activities he challenges them to engage it.

Organizing with Resonance

Establishing a sense of resonance and working on an increased emotional aptitude isn’t just for middle management and web personalities. Moving forward with any sort of group action, be it encouraging people to sign on to a petition or leading a walk-out, it is important to instill in fellow participants a sense of trust and authenticity. Establishing a sense of resonance with the people you’re trying to move, and the people with whom you are moving, is key for successfully getting any task done. While this may seem obvious, at a time where putting together and executing action appears as simple as clicking a mouse a few times, the importance of tailoring people skills might easily be lost by the wayside for some. In a world of millions of web-petitions, flash-mobs, and other one-off schemes, keeping the upper hand might be as simple as knowing who you are and where you’re coming from as well as knowing and caring about who you’re organizing.

-Filed in Ideas