Renewing yourself and connecting with others through mindfulness, hope and compassion
The authors start from a recognition that the world of work has changed and therefore requires a new kind of leadership. Successful leaders in this new world require optimism, emotional intelligence and compassion - all attributes of what Boyatzis and McKee call 'resonant leaders'.
A key element of resonant leadership is the ability within the leader to manage their own and others' emotions in ways that drive success. Research has shown significant positive relationships between emotional intelligence (what they describe as the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) and performance at individual, team and organisational levels.
Power Stress - the challenge of sustaining resonance
The best leaders give of themselves constantly. When leaders sacrifice too much for too long – and reap too little – they can become trapped in what the authors call the “sacrifice syndrome", weighed down with constant crises, heavy responsibilities and the perpetual need to influence.
The result of such consistent "power stress" over time is dissonance. And when dissonance prevails, individuals suffer physically and emotionally. Eventually cognitive functioning is impaired. Over time these symptoms can spread throughout an organisation - because emotions are contagious.
How to counter "sacrifice syndrome"
The answer, say the authors, is renewal: attending to self and others by consciously cultivating experiences that energise and reinvigorate. The three pathways to do this are mindfulness, hope and compassion. Just as these states underpin resonant leadership, so they also enable renewal and sustainable effectiveness. Then others catch it and become excited, creative and energised to be resilient and adaptive, performing at their best.
"Be the change that you want to see in the world"Mahatma Gandhi