Mellifluous Sonority of Existential Sounds
I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a leadership cruise this week and I can hear the waves breaking behind the boat as I type this blog post. There is a consistent rhythm in the rear of the ship where my room is, like a peaceful song looping repeatedly – offering instant joy and inspiration. I was hesitant to attend my first cruise amid a growing to-do list and never-ending obligations at home, however, I was convinced by my wife and our two hosts that the time was important for my wife, my marriage, and my own mindset. After watching a few scenes from the Titanic and searching “Cruise Ship Disasters” on YouTube with my daughter, I sailed away on a colossal boat that has no business floating.
On the flip side (hopefully, no pun intended), this ship is full of positive energy, and I have really enjoyed meeting and speaking with leaders from all over the U.S.. There is a palpable feeling of greatness and humbleness that I was surprised to experience. My phone barely works, I have only looked at any timepieces on very few occasions, and there has been plenty of time to read and write as I please. I’m also enjoying the freedom that I rarely experience with my wife. The stress I experienced for weeks leading up to this vacation was a product of my own negative outlook. My ‘life song’ was out of tune and playing at an uncomfortable decibel level for most of October. It was only a few days prior to departure that I fully submitted to the experience and was able to sync with the instruments in my life and start playing a song that I knew well. I believe this is the song that God has intended for me, and it is obvious to my family and myself, despite my stubbornness to play it my way at times, that this is the melody that should echo and project anywhere I go. Thanks be to God for breaking down that wall I tried to build and for allowing me the opportunity to step away for reflection and fine-tuning for a few days.
The Sound of Leadership by Jules Glanzer was a very solid read and perfect for this trip. I was inspired by Leonard Sweet’s Overture and read most of the book in a day. Sweet opens with a famous line from Nikola Tesla that many of us are familiar with, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, you must think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”1 I have felt incredibly connected to that quote for years and have often metaphorically attempted to explain God’s Plan (for all of us) as a beautiful song called Life. This song is played every day, and everywhere. I believe it is our job to stay in tune so that our Life Song or Leadership Song can glorify him with honor and beautiful harmonious progression.
Glanzer does a nice job of outlining his view on leadership through the references to sound. He paints a picture of Godly leadership that points to Jesus that I believe we can all connect with. This sound (or song), conducted by the Spirit, played accurately (or at least with an effort of humble faith), is a powerful and somewhat multifaceted symphony that inspires followers and leads to trust. As leaders, I believe we can fight the song and push or grind through a specific goal or task, however, our song may be out of tune like mine was these past few weeks. Glanzer says on page 44 that “the loudest or most passionate voice is not always the right voice.”2 The more I grow in leadership, the more I am noticing this to be extremely accurate. If the ‘song’ the “leader” is singing, or the sound of his/her leadership is flat or out of tune, it makes it hard to follow and easy to lose trust. As a musician myself, I struggle when I hear things off-key. Even during church service, I notice myself disconnecting when something in the music breaks down. I have learned to be more patient over the years, but it is almost impossible to ignore it completely.
I resonated with one of the opening quotes in Chapter Two that is attributed to Max Lucado, “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”3 Although I feel like the Spirit is the true conductor this statement is still powerful. In Christian leadership, the Holy Spirit moves through us and through the corridors of organizations and inspires teams to achieve their full potential in Jesus’ name. It begins with the confident cadence of a leader’s voice, conveying not only authority but also empathy, as they articulate a vision that ignites passion and purpose. This harmonic blend of communication, both verbal and non-verbal, fosters trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of direction. The sound of leadership is not just words; it’s the melody of actions, the rhythm of accountability, and the harmonious chorus of a team moving towards a common goal. In essence, the soundtrack drives success and leaves an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of those who follow.
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1 Tesla, Nikola, quoted by Leonard Sweet in the Overture of The Sound of Leadership, by Jules Glanzer, 12.
2 Glanzer, Jules; The Sound of Leadership, 44
3 Glazner, Jules, The Sound of Leadership, Quote from Max Lucado, 33.
About the Author
Michael O'Neill
Director of Operations / Executive Pastor at Kinergy, Inc. Federal 501c3 Non-Profit Organization. An experienced entrepreneur, leader, father, wellness professional, and owner of a multi-location medical practice with my wife, Nicole O'Neill, MD.14 responses to “Mellifluous Sonority of Existential Sounds ”
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I love your closing thoughts Michael: “This harmonic blend of communication, both verbal and non-verbal, fosters trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of direction. The sound of leadership is not just words; it’s the melody of actions, the rhythm of accountability, and the harmonious chorus of a team moving towards a common goal. In essence, the soundtrack drives success and leaves an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of those who follow.”
This got me thinking of how opposite this is from narcissistic, hero-based leadership. This is when the leader needs himself to be the center of attention. Instead of elevating others to be leaders, creating harmony like a conductor, this kind of leader wants followers who will get in line and not outshine. Can you think of good examples of someone (either well-known or unknown) who led like a conductor who didn’t need to be THE voice, but conducted others to be a “harmonious chorus of a team moving towards a common goal”?
Thank you, David. That is a great question. Jesus would be my first leader who comes to mind. I’m reminded of all of the times he healed someone and instructed the individual not to speak of it. It was humbling but I also believe Jesus saw a bigger picture and his timing was incredible for many things he did. From a modern perspective, Dr. Clark comes to mind. He manages a few jobs in addition to a growing family and counts on us to play our instruments in harmony with his leadership. It’s easy to spot when someone is off-key but also easy to get back on track and create something beautiful together. He lifts us up to be great leaders and respects us like colleagues more than students yet still holds us accountable and creates a trustworthy environment that is easy for a lot of leaders to follow. Who comes to mind for you?
Dr. O’Neill,
You now sound like Dr. Clark with these big words, I may have to consult ChatGPT for the exact meaning!. “Mellifluous Sonority of Existential Sounds.” Loved interacting with your blog, especially the following paragraph.
“The sound of leadership is not just words; it’s the melody of actions, the rhythm of accountability, and the harmonious chorus of a team moving towards a common goal. In essence, the soundtrack drives success and leaves an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of those who follow.”
I am glad you’ve had a great time away to work on the tuning of your song, brother; more blessings to you and your lovely family.
Thanks, Jean! I had a few extra minutes this week to learn a few new words. I actually got “mellifluous” and “sonority” from Dr. Sweet’s Overture. I liked them so much that I looked them up, shared them with my wife, and then repeated them out loud a few times to make sure I could pronounce them correctly.
Thank you for the blessings. I am glad to come home tomorrow but it was such a great opportunity for my wife and I to step away from our normal grind. Thank you, again. Blessings to you too.
Michael, man what a feeling to realize you’ve hardly looked at your phone. I used to dread not being connected by my phone or by internet but one trip out to Anya’s family lake house in the middle of nowhere Vermont changed my perspective. It was so restful and recharging. Like you said, it can really highlight how frenetic life was and is.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and “song” with us Michael. Looking forward to the music your leadership continues to produce!
Thanks, Caleb. Not looking at my phone might have been the best part of the trip. It is easy to forget how life was before the mobile takeover. This served as a great reminder that there is a lot more to life than our schedule, notifications, and connections. I miss my family and I’m definitely ready to get home but it was a great re-charge and tuning that was much needed. Thanks, again.
Micheal,
Way to make us all jealous! Maybe our next Advance can be a Leadership Cruise! I would love to hear more about this kind of trip.
Fun post with great connections to your life and the book. I enjoyed the parallels to your life that was getting out of tune a bit and the encouragement from those in your life to get away and recalibrate. That’s what I caught when you wrote, “If the ‘song’ the “leader” is singing, or the sound of his/her leadership is flat or out of tune, it makes it hard to follow and easy to lose trust. As a musician myself, I struggle when I hear things off-key. Even during church service, I notice myself disconnecting when something in the music breaks down. I have learned to be more patient over the years, but it is almost impossible to ignore it completely.” It made me think of how important it is to be attuned to our life rhythms and make adjustments and take breaks when necessary so that our life song can play the way it’s meant to. Great post!
Thank you, sir. It was a great trip. My wife and I were invited as guests of a couple at church. We’ve wanted to connect with them for years and it never works out so we decided this would be a great way to have some dedicated time. Their company (Plexus) was hosting a leadership cruise with some seminars and a nice mix of business and pleasure. It was first class and relaxing. Now it’s time to grind again…
When I read your post I imagined that working out for you may feel like the cruise ship. In the zone, not necessarily looking at a time piece, and in the moment.
I am so glad that you got to do this and the connections that you made!
Thanks, Alana. It did feel like that. We feel really blessed. Now it’s time to get back to the real world.
Michael,
I enjoyed reading your blog and the comments from our cohort!
I am curious what you learned from the leaders that were on the cruise! Were there any talks that stood out to you? Or any take aways you are wanting to hold on to?
I am glad you and your wife were able to get away!!
How did the cruise ships gym rate? :)!
Thanks, Kristy.
The sessions were beneficial for anyone but nothing we hadn’t heard or read about. I enjoyed the conversations the most. It felt similar to our Advances where you would pick up something great from someone you just met during dinner or a random coffee. A key takeaway was that almost everyone there had multiple revenue streams coming in residually with minimal work. Also, most of the attendees had former careers and education in an industry they were not working in.
The gym was solid, quality, and crowded each morning. Wellness was a focus for the majority of the people on board.
The time with my wife was overdue. It was seriously great.
Thank you!
“the harmonious chorus of a team moving towards a common goal” this part of one of your last quotes reminded me of our cohort. We are moving toward a common goal and at this point in our studies the sound is so sweet. What would you say is working harmoniously in your ministry?
Thanks, Shonell. I hear a beautiful song playing when I walk through our facility and I hear laughter, music, and weights clanking on the ground. I love to see people making an intentional effort to better themselves and nothing makes me happier when I walk by a bible study or overhear a prayer. Our ministry is still small but very powerful and the Spirit has helped us stay in tune. Ministry is a beautiful harmonious song and so is this cohort. Thanks for your feedback and for being a beautiful instrument in this program.