| How do you provide a change management | | | | One of the keys to achieving resonance is |
| leadership style that connects with people and | | | | empathic listening. [See "The Seven Habits of |
| motivates them when they are stressed out by | | | | Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey] |
| the current economic climate? | | | | Self awareness and the 4 building blocks of primal |
| How do you lead your people through change and | | | | leadership |
| identify the most effective strategies for | | | | The 4 building blocks of primal leadership are: |
| managing change that are appropriate to these | | | | (1) Self-awareness |
| difficult conditions? | | | | (2) Self-mastery [or self-management of emotion] |
| A new focus on leadership has been defined and | | | | (3) Empathy or social awareness |
| articulated by Daniel Goleman - and he calls it | | | | (4) Relationship management |
| "Primal Leadership". This refers to the emotional | | | | "Self-awareness is actually the fundamental ability |
| dimension of leadership - the leader's ability to | | | | of emotional intelligence, and probably the most |
| articulate a message that resonates with their | | | | ignored in a business setting." Goleman |
| followers' emotional reality and their sense of | | | | Emotions are contagious - from the top down |
| purpose, and thus motivate them to move in a | | | | In an interview [with Stephen Bernhut in "Leaders |
| specific direction. | | | | Edge", Ivey Business Journal May/June 2002] |
| To my mind this is of considerable interest and | | | | Daniel Goleman said: |
| relevance to those of us working with companies | | | | "First, you have to reach within yourself to find |
| who are going through change. | | | | out your own truth, because you can't be |
| Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee | | | | resonant if you're clueless, if you're pretending, or |
| in 2002, first introduced the concept in a book of | | | | if you're just trying to manipulate people." |
| that name. Their work draws extensively on | | | | You have to speak from your heart, and you |
| research into Emotional Intelligence or "EI". | | | | have to do it in a way that speaks to other |
| Here are the key themes: | | | | people's hearts. So it takes authenticity. And if |
| The importance of Primal Leadership | | | | you can articulate a positive goal, that is, stay |
| In the current climate of uncertainty people need | | | | optimistic, enthusiastic and motivated in delivering |
| leadership that offers a measure of re-assurance | | | | that message, then what you're doing is spreading |
| and certainty of conviction about the direction in | | | | that message and those moods and predisposition |
| which they are being led. | | | | to the people you're talking to. Emotions are |
| This is important because people cannot work | | | | contagious, and they are most contagious from |
| effectively if they are experiencing emotional | | | | the top down, from leader to followers. |
| turbulence. Their ability to get work done depends | | | | Acting as a leader in a way that primes positive |
| on their emotions being under control. A leader | | | | emotions in people |
| has to address those often unconscious and | | | | In the same interview, Goleman suggests that |
| unexpressed fears along the way in order to help | | | | first of all, you need self-awareness, to know |
| people keep them under control. | | | | what's happening with your own emotions. You |
| A study of 3,871 executives and their direct | | | | also need to use your self-awareness to sense |
| reports shows that HOW a leader leads in terms | | | | what's right and what's wrong in a situation, to |
| of the emotional resonance they do or don't | | | | use your deep values to guide you in what you |
| generate matters for 2 reasons: | | | | do from moment to moment. |
| (1) A big part of the culture and "general feel" or | | | | You need to be able to manage your emotions... |
| "emotional tone" of what it is like to work in an | | | | and to keep yourself in a positive state, to have |
| organisation is determined to a very large extent | | | | a good time with people as well, along with getting |
| by the leader. | | | | the job done. Of course, you also need empathy. |
| (2) The leader's style determines about 70% of | | | | And then finally, you need to put that all into |
| the emotional climate which in turns drives | | | | practice by acting as a leader in a way that |
| 20-30% of business performance. | | | | primes positive emotions in people, because that's |
| The leaders emotions infect the organisation - the | | | | the state in which they're going to work best. |
| importance of resonance. | | | | In my view this is inspiring stuff and offers deep |
| The central finding of EI research is that emotions | | | | insight and fresh perspective on key aspects of |
| are essentially contagious, and thus a leader's | | | | the leadership of change management. |
| attitude and energy can "infect" a workplace | | | | Properly applied in a change management context, |
| either for better or for worse. | | | | this emphasis on primal leadership is exactly what |
| With this in mind the authors stress the | | | | a people-oriented leadership style needs to deliver |
| importance of resonance, which is the ability of | | | | when employing the holistic and wide view |
| leaders to perceive and influence the flow of | | | | perspective of a programme based approach to |
| emotions (including motivational states) between | | | | change management. |
| themselves and others they work with. | | | | |