Appreciative Leadership at the Nexus of Appreciative Inquiry (Diana Whtiney)

Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org

Thomas Jefferson

“Every organization needs a positive revolution.”

Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 2

Dream Catcher

You must learn to live and work in the Energetically

Positive.

Understand and do what gives life to

the people.


Apprecia)ve Leadership:

The Nexus of Three Revolu)onary Fields


Appreciative

Inquiry

Strengths Movement

Positive Psychology

The Leadership Challenge Today �  IBM Global Chief Executive Officer Study 2010. � Over 1500 CEOs Worldwide Interviewed. � Biggest challenge: complexity of a global environment. �  Single most important leadership competency: creativity. �  Successful organizations co-‐create products and services with customers. They integrate customers into core business processes.

�  Better performing organizations manage complexity through operational dexterity.


Apprecia)ve Inquiry: A Process for the Age of Co-‐Crea)vity

� Many leaders today have visions and values that are incongruent with old paradigm methodologies.

� They are in search of new paradigm processes and methodologies for leadership, innovation and change.

� Appreciative Inquiry answers the call.

� What problem solving was to the industrial age; Appreciative Inquiry is to the co-‐creative age.



Appreciative Inquiry

AI Invites a Reconfigura)on of …

1.  Logics and Language �  From Deficit to Strength Based Logics and Language

�  Root Cause of Success, WWW, Positive Problem Solving

2.  Lens on Performance �  From Individualistic, Behavioral Lens to a Systemic,

Relational Lens 3.  Ways of Knowing and Evidence

�  To Quantitative Metrics we add Qualitative Experiences, Personal Stories and Metaphors

4.  Voice of Authority �  From Few to Many to the Whole


Leadership Narra)ves �  Systemic and relational, not individualistic.

�  Leadership of this conference… �  Leaders of this conference…

� Are about how and why things happen – or don’t. �  Performances, Strategies, Ways of Doing Things, Processes, Resources, Relationships and Results

What is your Story of Leadership of Successful

Appreciative Inquiry Initiatives?


A Mini Interview (5 minutes each) �  Turn to one other person and ask:

�  Reflect upon a successful AI initiative and its Leadership. It can be a project you have been part of, or one that you have heard about – large or small. Tell me about it.

� Describe the leadership.

� How did leadership contribute to this success?

� How did it bring out the best of the people involved?

� What do you most respect about this leadership?

� What words and phrases best describe this leadership?


What are some of the most innovative and meaningful words and phrases that you heard used to

describe Leadership?


Leadership of Successful AI Ini)a)ves �  Active participation of people at all levels and functions with other members of their organization and community to create a better way.

�  Openness and enjoyment in the surprise of learning.

�  Caring about people. The purpose of their organization as helping people develop and have a better life.

�  Truly believe and practice the power of the positive.

12 Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org

Our Research: What kind of leadership brings out your best and creates a high performance work environment? Answer: Posi)ve Power

Positive Attitudes & Emotions

Focus on What Works Well

Recognition & Appreciation

Making a Positive Difference


Apprecia)ve Leadership

“The relational capacity to mobilize creative potential and turn it into positive power, setting in motion ripples of confidence,

energy, enthusiasm, and performance that make a positive difference in the world.”

Whitney, Trosten-‐Bloom and Rader


Apprecia)ve Leadership: Five Rela)onal Strategies


Inquiry

Illumination

Inclusion

Inspiration

Integrity

The Wisdom of INQUIRY Leadership by Asking Posi)vely Powerful Ques)ons

16 Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org

“Tell me about the river that connects you.”


The Genius of INCLUSION Leadership by Engaging with People


“Don’t Talk About Me Without Me”

The Quest for Uniqueness

Inquiry into the unique values, strengths, hopes and dreams of seemingly different people is what generates collective wisdom, and leads to the Genius of the Whole.


An Improbable Group �  Idaho State Department of Education

�  AI Summit – 250 People �  Focus: Educational Services for Students who are Deaf and Blind

�  Sub-‐Text: Should we close the school?

� Who would you include?


Who Would You Include?

�  Teachers �  School Administrators �  Students – Blind and Deaf �  Adults – Blind and Deaf �  Governor’s Office �  Advocacy Groups �  Educators at all Levels �  Other States Facing Similar Issues

�  Parents �  Family Members �  Community Members �  Local Board of Education �  State Dept. of Education �  State Legislators �  Sign Interpreters �  Guide Dogs �  The Public �  Others?


Outcomes � Consensus Decision to Keep the School �  Set of Agreed Upon Recommendations to the State Department of Education

� Acceptance and Budgeting of the Recommendations by the State Legislature

�  Significantly Strengthened Relationships � Greater Parental Involvement �  Improved Services for Deaf and Blind Students



Strengths Movement

Strengths


“Near perfect performance in an

activity.”

�  Feel easy.

�  Increase excellence, success, productivity.

�  Provide a sense of joy, flow, energy, and fulfillment. Now, Discover Your Strengths Buckingham and Clifton

Excellent Performers


� Are rarely well-‐rounded. � They capitalize on their strengths. � They minimize their weaknesses.

� Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest strengths.

Now, Discover Your Strengths Buckingham and Clifton

Strengths: Traits or Narra)ves?

Labels Stories

You might say…

I might say…

At my best…

You are…

I am…


The Art of ILLUMINATION Leadership by Bringing Out the Best of People & Situations

‘Interpretative Generosity’


Prac)ce: Strengths SpoXng Thanks to Peter Lang and Elspeth McAdam, KCC, UK

1.  Select a partner – improbable partner. 2.  Ask your partner to tell you a success story. 3.  Listen to discover your partners strengths. 4.  Reflect those strengths back to your partner.

Reverse Roles 4 Minutes Each -‐ Total Time 8 minutes


Leadership Strengths SpoXng Inquiry

1.  Tell me about a personal leadership success, something that you have done in the past few months or year, that gave you great satisfaction and pride.

1.  What did you do? 2.  Who or what gave you the idea to do this? 3.  Who else was involved and how did you relate to them? 4.  What else did you do? 5.  Tell me more about what you did to make this a success.

2.  Based upon your success story, I would say that some of your leadership strengths are…



Positive Psychology

Posi)vity Broaden and Build Theory Dr. Barbara Fredrickson

�  Broadens Peoples’ Attention and Thinking

�  Undoes Lingering Negative Emotional Arousal

�  Creates Resiliency to Change


More of Fredrickson’s Research Posi)ve Emo)ons & Performance

Joy……….……...play, imagination, experimentation à Innovation

Interest…...involvement, investigate, explore à New Knowledge

Optimism.....opportunity, confidence, persevere à Achievement

Contentment...savor, integrate complex ideas à Deeper Insight

Love……………..….……….………………connect, relate à Cooperation


Posi)vity Ra)o = Flourishing


“People flourish in the presence of positive emotions and positive communication.”

The Healthy Range is 4+ : 1-‐ -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 11+ : 1-‐

Marcial Losada, Chile Successful Teams 5+:1-‐

John and Julie Gottman, Seattle, WA

Long Term Successful Marriages 5+:1-‐

The Courage of INSPIRATION Leadership by Awakening the Creative Spirit

Achievement, change and innovation are all correlated to positive emotions.


The choice is yours…


We Are All In)mately Connected.

� Our questions, words and choices are fateful.

� They create ripples. �  Large or small, conscious or unconscious, they influence our lives and the lives of others.


The Path of INTEGRITY


Leadership by Making Choices for the Good of the Whole

Whole = Integral = Integrated = Complete = Wholeness Healthy = Healed = Holy = Sacred

“To be on the path of Integrity is to be moving, growing and evolving toward wholeness; and to be supporting and enabling others to do the same.”



“Make a career of humanity…You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country,

and a finer world to live in.”

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Five Strategies of Apprecia)ve Leadership


1.   Inquiry: Ask Positively Powerful Questions.

2.   Inclusion: Invite Improbable Participation.

3.   Illumination: Be a Strengths Spotter.

4.   Inspiration: Maintain a 5/1 Positivity Ratio.

5.   Integrity: Make a Career of Humanity.

To keep the conversa)on going…

Diana Whitney, Ph.D. [email protected]

Corporation for Positive Change

www.positivechange.org �  Consulting

�  AI Workshops/Training/Certification �  Leadership Development

�  Keynote Speaking

Twitter: DianaWhitneyPhD LinkedIn Group: Positive Change Practitioners


Appreciative Leadership at the Nexus of Appreciative Inquiry (Diana Whtiney)

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Transcript of Appreciative Leadership at the Nexus of Appreciative Inquiry (Diana Whtiney)