McKee Annie - Resonant leadership: renewing yourself and connecting with others through mindfulness, hope, and compassion

Copyright 2005 Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee

Material quoted from Summa Health Systems 1998 Albert Einstein Healthcare Foundation, Service Excellence Program

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.

First eBook Edition: September 2005

ISBN: 978-1-5913-9563-8

We dedicate this book to our parents:

Sophia and Kyriakos Boyatzis,

Catherine MacDonald Wigsten,

and

Murray Wigsten

Thank you for setting us on our paths, with love,

for guiding us to live mindfully,

with compassion,

and always with enduring hope.

S INCE I WROTE Primal Leadership together with my good friends and colleagues Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, we have been on podiums around the world talking about how resonant leadership can make leaders more effective. The one question we almost invariably face is: Yes, but how? Now Richard and Annie have answered that crucial question, with both vision and precision.

Ive always learned a great deal personally from Richard and Annie. Each of them brings to lifes raw data an exquisite sensibility, mixing the acumen of the scientist, the savvy of the practitioner, and the compassionate soul of their spiritual grounding.

They reveal that same sensibility in Resonant Leadership, and I feel as richly rewarded by this book as I have been through my work with them. Annie and Richard bring to this book the lessons learned on the front lines of businesses and organizations large and small, around the worldfrom schoolyards in South Africa to boardrooms in global centers of commerce. Drawing on their wide experience, they offer a compelling business case for qualities like benevolence and compassion, and for the utility of dreams, hope, optimism, and a strong ethical compass.

Leadership that gets results demands a social alchemy of sorts. As Richard and Annie show, the best leaders are not only highly motivated themselves, but able to somehow radiate that positivity, igniting and mobilizing positive attitudes in those around them. But leadership that works well goes beyond the image of the lone star somehow sprinkling magical pixie dust on others. True leaders know that they, too, are being ledthat leadership operates on a two-way street. Any leader must listen and attune to others in order to pick up the signals that will help all those involved stay in step along the way. The best leaders know were all in it together.

Here arises a leadership paradox: For leaders, the first task in management has nothing to do with leading others; step one poses the challenge of knowing and managing oneself. That includes connecting with the deep values that guide us, imbuing our actions with meaning. This self-engagement also demands we align our emotions with our goalsboth to motivate and to keep our composure and focus. When we act in accord with these inner barometers, we feel good about what we do. And when our energy and excitement come spontaneously, they verify we are moving on the right track.

But for what? Here compassion enters the picturenot in the sense of charitable giving, but in terms of a benevolent attitude, a predisposition to help others. Compassion lifts us out of the small-minded worries that center on ourselves and expands our world by putting our focus on others. That simple shift allows leaders a sorely needed renewal of spirit, and that renewal, as it turns out, is crucial for leaders in sustaining not only themselves but also the efficacy of their leadership.

In an era when the business community has been badly damaged by the fallout when leaders fail to embody transparency and when the drastic consequences of leaders arrogant self-absorption are greater than ever, the insights shared here are all the more valuable. If we need anything from leaders today, it is more leadership of the resonant kind.

Daniel Goleman

T HERE ARE MANY VOICES whispering throughout the pages of this bookvoices of wisdom, insight, experience, and support. These voices come from people who have touched us, taught us, moved us and inspired uspeople whom we trust and treasure, and without whom we could not, or would not, have had the courage to write this book. We are deeply grateful for the support, encouragement, and commitment we have been so blessed to receive.

Our partnership with Daniel Goleman has been and continues to be a gift and a treasure. He has supported us every step of the way; we respect him, and care for him deeply. His positive energy is palpableand contagious. Dans resonant leadership continues to inspire us, and we are grateful and happy to share good times and good conversations with him.

The team at the Press has been fabulous. Each and every one is fun to work with, perceptive, astute, and creative. Special and abiding thanks to our editor, Jeff Kehoe for his thoughtful, incisive, and steady guidance; his good grace; and good humor. And to Hollis Heimbouch for deep commitment to both the content and the spirit of our workshes a leader in her own right, and it shows. And, of course, thanks to Mark Bloomfield, David Goehring, Todd Berman, and Erin Brown for their belief that this book will make a difference to lots of leaders, in the business world and beyond.

Lucy McCauley, our hands-on editor and writing muse, is a special person indeed. Her help in crafting our message was invaluable, as was her belief that our work can really make a difference to thoughtful seekers, like Lucy herself.

Very special thanks to Teleos team members Gretchen Schmelzer, Neen Brannan, and Patrice Waldenberger. Each of them dedicated daysno, weeksto the pursuit of knowledge in support of our work. Their serenity, intelligence, and good humor carried us through some difficult work and kept us on schedule, too.

We are fortunate to work with people who have dedicated their lives to the search for knowledge about great leadership. These people have shared selflessly of their experiences, their research, and their beliefs. They have inspired us and they have helped us. For this, we thank friends and colleagues in our institutions and study groups:

The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Organizational Behavior:Melvin Smith, Diana Bilimoria, Poppy McLeod, David Kolb, David Cooperrider, Ron Fry, Eric Neilsen, Hilary Bradbury, Sandy Piderit, Susan Case, Danny Solow, Mihaly Maserovic, Neil Greenspan, David Aron, Deb ONeil, and Betty Vandenbosch;

Teleos Leadership Institute:Co-Chair Fran Johnston and the team: Laura Peck, Eddy Mwelwa, Neen Brannan, Delores Mason, Richard Massimilian, Michael McElhenie, Bobbie Nash, Gretchen Schmelzer, David Smith, Felice Tilin, Patrice Waldenberger, and Amy Yoggev.

University of Pennsylvania:Peter Kuriloff, Greg Shea, and Kenwyn Smith.

ESADE:Ricard Serlavos, Tony Lingham, Bonnie Richley, Ceferi Soler, Carlos Losada, Xavier Mendoza, Joan Manuel Batista, and Jaume Hugas.

Inspirational colleagues:Tom Malnight, IMD; Anders Ferguson, Uplift Equity Partners; Sander Tideman, Insight Partners; Beulah Trey, Center for Applied Research; and Professors Babis Mainemelis, London Business School; Kathy Kram, Boston University; Jane Dutton, University of Michigan; James Bailey, George Washington University; Olga Epitropaki, ALBA Athens; Arnauldo Comuffo, University of Parma; Cary Cherniss, Rutgers University; Ken Rhee, University of Northern Kentucky; Jane Wheeler, Bowling Green State University; John Kotter, Harvard University; and Janet Patti, Hunter College.