Tuning Fork

Aligning Leaders to Themselves

Today, something profound happened.

It was a moment when the right conversation, the right question, and the right pause created something magical. A shift. A realization. A frequency that hadn’t been heard before suddenly rang clear.

Today, I was told I am a tuning fork - that my work with this CEO unlocked him to a point where he was told he was experiencing an awakening. Not just clarity, not just strategy, but something deeper: alignment with himself.

This is the kind of transformation that’s hard to quantify, and hard to explain. Yet, when it happens, it’s unmistakable. It’s the moment when a leader stops simply operating and starts resonating.

We talked about the harmonic aspects of things that were unexplainably happening to him because of this alignment. I found my mind going to scenes in the movie Awakenings with Robin Williams and Robert De Nero based on the Oliver Sacks book of the same title.

I have helped several people achieve breakthroughs before, but to receive this kind of feedback was needless to say a bit jaw-dropping. I could feel the transcendence in his voice. I got goosebumps.

As I reflected, I realized the real work wasn’t about external strategy or executive tactics. It was about being in tune with the CEO not only as a leader but as a person, so he could become in tune with himself.

Here’s my question for you: Are you leading in harmony with yourself or are you out of sync?

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NOW: The Power of Being in Tune

Most leaders operate at a relentless pace—solving problems, making decisions, and leading others. But how often do they stop to ask:

• Am I aligned with myself?

• Is what I’m building in sync with what I believe?

• Is my leadership coming from a place of true clarity or am I just playing the role?

In a world of noise, true leadership requires resonance. It’s not about volume; it’s about vibration. The most impactful leaders don’t just command attention—they create an energy that others feel.

Take a moment to think about:

~ Where do you feel completely in tune with yourself, your work, and your leadership?

~ Where do you sense disharmony—decisions that don’t feel right, tensions that don’t resolve?

The Now is about recognizing whether you are truly leading in your own frequency or if something needs adjusting.

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NEW: Finding the Frequency of Leadership

Leaders who operate out of sync with themselves create friction, within their teams, their companies, and their own lives. The ones who find alignment create flow.

Here’s how I approach tuning leadership into resonance:

1. Listen for What’s Not Being Said

Alignment isn’t always found in what’s spoken, it’s in the hesitation, the contradictions, the subconscious doubts. The work is in amplifying the truth that already exists.

2. Remove the Interference

Leaders get pulled in a thousand directions. External expectations, industry noise, conflicting advice. But what would happen if all of that was stripped away? What remains? That’s the real signal.

3. Resonate, Don’t Just Communicate

People don’t just follow clarity; they follow energy. When a leader is aligned, you don’t just hear it, you feel it. That’s the difference between executives who execute and leaders who inspire. I can remember this very feeling when I was at Time Inc. and the CEO of the company came to visit my office.

Ask yourself:

~ Where are you forcing something that doesn’t feel right?

~ What would it take to tune yourself to your most powerful, authentic leadership voice?

In the New, we experiment with ways to amplify resonance because leadership isn’t just about direction, it’s about vibration. It is the unspoken energy in the room.

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NEXT: Creating a Culture of Alignment

A tuned leader creates tuned organizations. When leaders find their resonance, it spreads:

1. Teams move with clarity.

2. Decisions become easier.

3. Vision becomes something you feel, not just something you write down.

Imagine a future where leaders don’t just manage uncertainty. They move through it with an internal compass so clear that it calibrates everyone around them.

It is like a basketball team that plays in sync without a script or plays being called in by the coach. The leader just needs to share that look or that nod.

This isn’t about being louder. It’s about being truer.

Ask yourself:

~ How would your leadership change if you were fully in tune with yourself?

~ How would your organization feel different if it operated in alignment rather than tension?

The future of leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about resonance.

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Payoff: The Leaders Who Resonate, Lead

Leadership isn’t about forcing movement, it’s about creating a frequency that others want to move toward.

In the Now, recognize where you are in tune and where you aren’t.

In the New, experiment with shifting into alignment, removing the interference.

In the Next, build a leadership style that doesn’t just lead. It resonates.

Stop just leading. Start resonating. Find your true frequency, and let it change everything.

Because the most powerful leaders aren’t just heard—they are felt.

"To create our best work, we must first create ourselves. The more we know ourselves, the more our work will reflect that self-knowledge." - Rick Rubin, "The Creative Act: A Way of Being"

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Follow me on LinkedIn. Or DM at tobin@spatialshift.com for more information.

Sometimes, I can’t explain what I do, but I know I get the roots of understanding you and finding a pathway that makes an impact. If you want to learn how to build alignment between you and your narrative, book a free consultation with me, and let's consider the possibilities.

I am a Narratologist and my craft is to help others find and design their unique form of self-expression. For companies, it is about alignment around a Narrative Northstar and the mission to achieve it. For executives over 45, it is about owning your narrative equity and actively sharing or spending it. For movements, it is about generating visible narrative equity that inspires a call to action.

For me, it is about improving human connection and that starts with you.