Investing Relational Energy: The Hallmark of Resonant Leadership

Recent research has shown that hospital restructuring that included staff layoff has adversely affected the role, health and well-being of nurses who remained employed. Further research found that nurses working in environments that reflected resonant (emotionally intelligent) leadership reported the least negative effects to their healt and well-being following hospital restructuring. What remained unclear was the mechanism by which this mitigation occurred. The purpose of this paper is to explore additional findings from this leadership research and discuss one explanation unique to the academic literature for the mitigation variable--the investment of relational energy by resonant nursing leadership to build relationships with nurses and manage emotion in the workplace.