The Harmonics of Leadership

By Samuel Wehner

The Stepping Stone, November 2024

The relationships between leaders and followers are similar to the harmonic structures found in music.

Harmonies communicate acknowledgement of both the timing and the purpose of parallel actions. A great leader lays a tone upon which the harmonics of their followers are naturally amplified, rallying them together and feeding their followers’ motivations. On the other hand, the tone of a great follower contains harmonics that further provide a layer of resonance for supporting those around them. As a result, an efficient company is like a harmonious symphony where communication is well-understood and actions are executed in time with each other, driving up motivation, morale, and production.

Within a profession like actuarial science, there are those studying to become credentialed professionals and those who have some form of credential. Many of the latter are also studying for yet another, more experienced credential.

Those who have earned a credential are then responsible for designing and maintaining the curriculum and exams for those currently pursuing that credential. They have a responsibility to those following in the credentialed body’s footsteps, much like the leading chords lay a foundation for the chords that follow in a progression. Although the individual notes within these chords are single units of music, together they create harmonies both in structure and through time that build a resonance that is felt both outside the industry and within the professional network.

The fractal components of these dynamics can be further enhanced by visualizing them using fractal geometry.

The components within a fractal that are self-similar are commonly referred to as motifs. The concept of a motif is prevalent in many forms of art, including music, visual arts, and writing. But this concept does not stop in the realm of artistic design and extends into the concepts of social behavior, including the hierarchies found in organizations and communities.

Take note (pun not intended) of the musical definition of motif from Oxford Languages: “a short succession of notes producing a single impression; a brief melodic or rhythmic formula out of which longer passages are developed.” A decent definition of a motif in the context of Project Management might be: a short succession of actions producing a single output; a brief process out of which longer processes are developed.

A geometric fractal such as the one above is recognizable from its motifs; its built-in, unique self-similarities. Harmonious team structures within an organization require the same attention to detail in order to be consistently recognizable at every scale.

Great leaders create motifs that are in congruence with their followers’ responsibilities, ambitions, and growth, yet that are also in resonance with the motifs provided from higher scales in the fractal of management (the leaders and motifs they are following). In doing so, a beautiful pattern of actions blossoms from a branch of the fractal into a rapturous movement of music, and when enough leaders in an organization do the same, an entire symphony of music resounds in the halls of the business.

Although it may be difficult to find the visually artistic side of actuarial science, the motifs and harmonies that arise out of the shared actions of individuals and their groups within the profession are structured analogous to the components of a masterful piece of art. The next time you sit down to strategize the structure of processes within your company to increase motivation, morale, and efficiency, don’t be shy to take to the brush or the keys and ponder the possibilities. For some, those keys may reside on a calculator rather than a piano, and that’s okay.

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries, the newsletter editors, or the respective authors’ employers.

Samuel Wehner, ASA, MAAA, is CEO and technology strategist for The Matharitan Group LLC, as well as an accomplished pianist and singer songwriter for Sam Wehner Media. He can be reached at sam@matharitan.com, via LinkedIn or on YouTube.