Resonant v. Dissonant Leadership

Anyone who has attended a middle school band concert knows the difference between resonance and dissonance. Dissonance is that disagreeable combination of sounds that’s often prominent at the fall concert when the kids are still learning how to tune their instruments accurately and hit the right notes at the right time. When they don’t, what they create is an unpleasant, dissonant sound in the auditorium.

Something much more resonant is usually on display at the final concert in May. The kids are more skilled and create an agreeable, synchronized sound that feels right. 

At its best, music that resonates with us evokes a sense of meaning and positive emotions—like when a favorite song from high school comes up on the playlist.

These same terms can be applied to leadership styles. Psychologist Daniel Goleman describes dissonant leaders as those who create an unpleasant, uncomfortable experience for staff when they fail to recognize that their own emotional state impacts the team the same way dissonant chords impact the audience.

A leader who is short-tempered and gruff can generate a stressful environment that can inhibit performance. Yet this leader is likely to see poor performance as purely a reflection of the individuals on the team. In fact, the performance issues are in part a reflection of the leader’s inability to manage their own emotions.

Resonant leaders, in contrast, are aware of their own emotional state and know that this affects those around them. That is, they know emotions are contagious so they use their emotions productively to create an environment where staff believe they have the support they need to succeed at their work. 

When there are plenty of open jobs elsewhere, the resonant leader is the one whose staff will hesitate to leave. When the environment feels like listening to their favorite song from high school, there’s no reason to change stations.