Let’s take a moment to think about, sense and feel how we impact others as leaders. We all think and move at a different pace, and anyone we interact with is directly impacted by these “vibrations.” Google’s informal definition of vibration is “the atmosphere of a place, or the associations of an object, as communicated to and felt by others.” It’s like we’re all playing a big game of Battling Tops; we spin around each other, trying to communicate and interact, all while impacting those around us, both positively and negatively through our own independent rates of vibration.
As a former Naval Aviator, I was once told that I “work at the speed of Fighter Pilot.” At first I thought, “That’s awesome… I think and work at the speed of sound.” But after a moment of introspection I considered how this could negatively impact my team. What if not everyone on the team “vibrated” at the same rate? The effect would be that the combined wavelength of the team would be disrupted, and the team would be out of synch. Think of it like trying to create a chord while playing the guitar. Six strings, all vibrating at different rates, all coming together to create a perfect tone, but if one or more of those strings was out of tune with the others, the chord would fail to deliver the proper harmonics.
As a leader, it’s your job is to first understand yourself and how you impact others. After you understand yourself, take a moment to observe and “listen” to each of your team members and be aware of these differences in vibration. Work with everyone on your team to ensure that you’re all “in tune.” It’s up to you to vary your “vibration” and create the right harmonics for your team.
