Myra Joanna Arce February 27, 2023

Reflection Paper #1 - Resonant Leadership LEADPS

What Leaders Should Be

Public service in the Philippines has always been regarded with disdain; the

general notion is that public servants are mostly people who only wish to receive

comfortable benefits and do not truly care about public good. Although this thought is

not entirely incorrect, as manifested in years of corruption and dishonorable

practices, it is also not completely true. There are people in public service who enter

the system enthusiastically and unfortunately, succumb to the systemic corrupt

practices; however, there are also people who, in their little pockets of resistance,

attempt to make ripples of change in leadership. It is difficult for these people to

thrive when the environment does not allow them to further develop. Hence, in order

for public service to ultimately improve, it is crucial to make spaces for nurturing

leaders through resonant leadership rooted in empathy.

Resonant leadership invites leaders to be both self-aware and conscious of

the environment they are in. Unfortunately, there are leaders who remain unaware of

their own capabilities, even their own emotions; this is detrimental to public service

especially when leaders commit themselves to tasks that they lack the technical and

emotional capacities for. In the same manner, when an untapped potential of a

leader remains unused, it could hinder the efficiency of public service. On the other

hand, most leaders are aware of the environment they are in, such that they are able

to communicate with the ‘right’ people and establish connections with them.

However, this ability to understand one’s environment is not used to foster good

relationships within the team, but rather usually to take advantage of each person’s

sphere of influence. With this, resonant leadership is necessary to develop

competent leaders who are able to work together. By being able to attune oneself to

the group, it provides opportunities for leaders to influence each other and ultimately,

develop rapports crucial in public service.

Resonant leadership may be developed through various activities; personally,

I think that the activities (a) team of two, (b) crocodile river, and (c) conflict responses

are the most appropriate activities to deepen resonant leadership. First, the activity

Team of Two operates on the importance of relationships, regardless of the team’s

size. Even if the team is big or there are only a few members, the most basic unit of

discussions and interactions is between two people. Hence, with Team of Two, pairs

are able to develop their interpersonal relationships while defining clear boundaries

and expectations from each other. When an individual is situated in a large group, it

can get quite overwhelming and difficult to grasp one’s responsibilities and deliver

the tasks at hand. And worse, there are people who take advantage of large groups

and do not contribute to the team; I have personally seen this, even in our own class.

Some members of the group do not feel the need to answer to anyone due to the

large number, but if they are given a specific task through private messages, they

respond and feel responsible for their tasks. This also exists in more professional

settings such as in public service: when a leader does not feel connected to a

specific member of the group, they feel that they can easily get away with their

underperformance. With the Team of Two activity, each person is accountable for

their own tasks and expectations of their partner; it builds trust on one another and

relationships are strengthened. Ultimately, the activity highlights the importance of

personal relationships in order to foster a culture of solidarity within the team.

Another activity that is appropriate for resonant leadership is Crocodile River.

(The name is also quite interesting, especially when public servants are often
referred to as “buwaya.”) I noticed that when leaders come together in a group, they

may find it difficult to interact with each other such that they all assume a

domineering position due to their excessive pride. One of the ways in order to

temper their ego is to place them in vulnerable positions wherein they would need

each other's help. In Crocodile River, the team is required to cross a river filled with

crocodiles through magical planks that remain floating only when there is consistent

body contact. The activity is interesting because they are required to rely on each

other physically in order to allow all members to cross the river. One must be

comfortable enough to be carried by the members so that they can cross the river

successfully; there are times when leaders refuse to accept their shortcomings and

make it more difficult for the team. In public service, it is necessary for a leader to be

aware and comfortable in their own weaknesses and seek help from the other

members of the team. This will allow the team to function more efficiently. Apart from

the vulnerability that each member will be exposed to, having to share planks with

other members so that they may be able to cross safely, the activity also highlights

the importance of understanding one’s value in the team. The person closest to the

edge of the river can easily just jump, but they must wait for everyone else to cross

for if they cross first, their plank will disappear and it will be far more difficult for the

others to cross the river. Lost planks would cause difficulty to the team: this is

relevant to the contributions of a leader in a team. When a leader is selfish or when

they are not focused on the task at hand, they put the rest of their team in danger.

However, when each member is able to realize their position in the team and

responsibly helps the other members of the team, they can all safely cross the river.

Finally, another activity that could help in public service and is particularly

relevant to adaptive leadership is Conflict Responses. Oftentimes, tasks in the team

are made more difficult due to personal or professional conflicts between the

leaders. Oftentimes, these conflicts remain unresolved and silent wars are waged

against one another as other members of the team attempt to resolve the issue or

end up taking sides. As a result, this hinders the ability of the team to function well.

The mostly non-confrontational nature of most Filipinos makes it difficult to talk about

past conflicts and how they could have been resolved. But, through Conflict

Responses, the leaders are able to bare themselves of their own shortcomings; this

encourages one another that conflicts are inevitable. We should not be ashamed of

our shortcomings, but instead, we should use them to improve future interactions.

Adaptive leadership teaches us that conflicts and contradictions allow us to mobilize

and thrive in change. In Conflict Responses, leaders are encouraged to think of

themselves as constantly improving individuals: no leader is perfect and no one

should act as if they are perfect. Conflict Responses provide each leader an

opportunity to reflect on their actions and possibly correct them through their own

future experiences, or even through the experiences of other leaders who listened to

them.

As an aspiring public servant, I am often afraid of how I can present myself

better, especially when the public has a preconceived notion of what public servants

are: irresponsible, “buwaya,” and egotistic. Regardless of what one does in public

service, they are at a risk of being shamed and accused of corruption. So why do I

need to improve my leadership? Why must I learn to be adaptive and resonate with

others? Certainly, learning to talk about my responsibilities and expectations with a

different person will allow me to establish clear boundaries. Allowing myself to be

vulnerable in front of others as I’m carried through the crocodile river and sharing the

burden by carrying others as well are exercises of a responsible leader who tugs on
each leader’s empathy. Finally, I could resolve future conflicts by sharing my own

experiences and avoid possible personal conflicts as I listen to others. But with the

possibility of me being engulfed by the massive systemic corruption in government, I

sometimes find myself asking if the activity to develop one’s leadership skills is worth

it. More importantly, I find myself asking if it is truly necessary for an individual to

develop resonant leadership at a time when the government operates on an often

cruel and impersonal bureaucracy.

However, although difficult and seemingly irrelevant, resonant leadership is a

step to pursuing good public service. When a leader is able to empathize with others

and put themselves in the shoes apart from their own, they are able to develop a

community wherein the members are able to understand one another, and ultimately,

work together despite the possible differences that they encounter. It gives a heart to

the otherwise authoritarian rule of a leader who is unable to see themselves in the

public that they supposedly serve.