AWAKING INNER RESONANCE

Awaking Your Inner Resonance

Tyler. S. Cannon

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

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Introduction

Attaining resonance is no easy task. It takes considerable effort,

constant hard work, accountability, and adequate rest. Whereas an
individual may be able to act congruently with his or own values,
ethics, morals, and beliefs, and personal vision, getting a team to act
in resonance amongst themselves is much more difficult. McKee and
Boyatzis (2008) show us how compassion, hope, and mindfulness helps
us as individuals to spark renewal and to avoid the risk of burnout,
which in turn helps us along the way of maintaining resonant
relationships in and outside of our jobs. The researcher will show how
to awake and maintain the resonance in his own life by discussing how
he will accomplish these eight must dos as written by McKee and
Boyatzis (2008): Must do #1- Start with yourself; Must do #2- Build
Resonance with those around you; Must do #3- Attend to all the levels
of your social system; Must do #4- Explore the power of subjectivity;
Must do #5- Discover your systems real self; Must do #6- Engage
peoples hearts and minds; Must do #7- Unleashing resonance though
collective visioning; and Must do #8- Express personal accountabilities
and commitments.
Must Do #1: Start With Yourself

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Starting with yourself for the researcher means to hold oneself

accountable for everything that happens around yourself. It means to
always realize that we are but a small piece of dust on the timeline and
vastness of the universe. The best way the researcher feels that one
can start with them is to engage in continuous learning. In particular
the researcher will finish his masters degree in Leadership, and break
his interest in drums down to the fundamental levels in order to build
him up again. He will be in constant self-study, reading both fiction and
non-fiction books to keep his mind and body sharp. He will continue a
workout routine in order to maintain his health. He will live by the old
adage of his father, who says, Keep the press on.
Must Do #2: Build Resonance with Those Around You
Building resonance with others can only be accomplished of a
person walks the walk that they talk, and vice versa. The underlying
message here is relationships. The researcher believes that its the
relationships in the organization, not the information nor the technical
expertise, which determines how well the organization will do. The
researcher will build resonance by getting constant face time with the
people he works with and whom he is responsible for, and try to
understand their point of view and their commitment to resonance. He
will remain open to change and learning, and he will encourage others
to hold each other accountable to that in which they are responsible.
Must Do #3: Attend to all the Levels of your Social System

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Leadership is a social beast. One can lead themselves to the

correct directions, being careful not to shove off into a path of less
resistance, but true leadership is being able to move others. A person
cannot be fixed on one level of their lives or within their organization;
they must be able to concentrate on many things at once. This does
not mean to be distracted. Effective communication and leadership will
allow an organization to be run effectively by empowering others to do
their part of the puzzle. The researcher will engage his mid-level
managers to own their part of the organization, and help them to
realize that they are responsible. When in a group setting, the
researcher will engage the entire group by asking questions, getting a
picture of how the organization is doing. Change will not happen unless
several levels of the system are touched and changed in a similar
manner (McKee, Boyatzis, 2008).
Must Do #4: Explore the Power of Subjectivity
In order to know if an organization or system is performing well
and the work that is being accomplished is effective, a leader must
engage the people to look at their areas in an inside-out/ upside-down
perspective. The researcher will look at all areas in which he is
responsible in such a manner. It is important to leave remnants of ego
aside and to have the ability to understand what is effective, and what
is wasteful. Out of discomfort comes growth, and being able to expand
ones horizon to multiple levels in an organization simultaneously is an

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important skill. The researcher will vow to be frank and subjective

when it is necessary, and to have an objective micro viewpoint when it
comes to issues of ethics, morals, and values.
Must Do #5: Discover Your Systems Real Self
Discovering your real self or a systems real self can be a
sobering and harrowing task. It takes courage and the willingness to be
vulnerable. The benefit to finding out any kind of real self is that from
that point you can start fresh, and assuming that something is broken,
you can fix the deficiency. Again starting with relationships, the
researcher will develop a dynamic inquiry in order to find out the
passions and goals of the people he works with. Doing this will build
trust and help to align peoples personal visions with one another, as
well as the organization. Having confidential conversations will help
build this trust. With the answers to these engaging types of inquiries
from everyone in the system, the leader will get a good sense of the
systems real self.
Must Do #6: Engage Peoples Hearts and Minds
The researcher believes that if you have someones heart, you
have his or her mind. He knows that people are more willing to work
for people who appear to have their own best interest at play. The
researcher will take people out of their normal habitat in order to get
down to the real person, and engage in team building and
relationship building exercises. Going away from traditional cocktail

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parties and dinners, he believes he can help people cultivate

relationships that will be last, as well as effective for the system. He
also plans, just as McKee and Boyatzis (2008) suggest, to initiate topics
that start from light and jovial and help move them into being intense
and a bit risky. This helps people get used to one another, and being to
trust one another. By engaging peoples hearts and minds, they open
to others, and build lasting relationships.
Must Do #7: Unleashing Resonance Through Collective Visioning
The researcher feels that this one is easier said than performed.
Getting a common vision together within a group of extremely diverse
people is difficult to do. The researcher believes that through
relationship building he can obtain peoples ideas about what they like
and dont like, how they believe things should work, etc., and compile
the answers. After all of the answers are obtained, he will discuss the
results with the entire group, so everyone can understand the ideas of
everyone else. He will open the floor to comments and help to facilitate
healthy conversation. Gathering a collective vision will help the entire
group come together and help one another.
Must Do #8: Express Personal Accountabilities and Commitments
The researcher believes in the power of a personal vision. It is a
moral compass in which people relate to, and use to guide their moves
within life. When a person lets their personal vision be known, they
open up a world of vulnerability within themselves. This is very useful

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when you want to be held accountable for your decisions in work and
life. When a person does this themselves, others will see that what
they say is in alignment with what they believe, and the will start the
practice themselves. On a large scale, this allows individuals and
groups to identify specific commitments and to determine what is
needed to change. The researcher knows as well that this allows
people to be honest with one another, and to ask for help when help is
needed. Holding yourself and others accountable is a difficult but
important task when trying to create a resonant environment.
Conclusion
With this plan and the eight must dos, the researcher is
confident that he has the tools to succeed in becoming a resonant
leader. He knows that nothing is worth having without effort. He
believes that the single best thing you can do for an organization is
concentrate on the relationships within the organization, be honest,
and to have hope and compassion for the people, and for the future of
the organization. The plan he has created will help others help
themselves and to help each other. This is the true power of resonant
leadership.

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8
References

McKee, Anne, Boyatzis, Richard, Johnston, Frances. (2008). Becoming a

Resonant Leader. Havard Business School Publishing. Boston, MA.