Appreciative Leadership
Appreciative leaders encourage contributions from those around them and facilitate the discussion to mutually solve problems. Understand the concept of Appreciative Leadership and learn about tools to create and ask powerful questions - that lead to new discoveries and possibilities. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong in the workplace, learn about, and build upon what works. Learn in this article the art to apply appreciative inquiry to specific situations and challenges at your workplace.
What is Appreciative Leadership?
Appreciative Leadership is a highly participatory approach that involves asking strategically crafted questions about an organization’s collective strengths, achievements, success stories, positive traditions, and visions for the future. Appreciative Leadership is a communication style that works on the basis of valuing people’s contributions as well as using their ideas and insights in a collaborative approach. Whitney, Torsten-Bloom, and Rader define Appreciative Leadership as “the relational capacity to mobilize creative potential and turn it into positive power – to set in motion positive ripples of confidence, energy, enthusiasm, and performance – to make a positive difference in the world”.
According to this definition:
- Participative Leadership involves relational processes and practices through which people come together to work inclusively and collaboratively.
- It is a positive worldview, based on the belief that every person, team, and organization has a positive potential.
- It recognizes potential and seeks to turn it into positive power.
- It creates waves of positive change rippling outward.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
The foundation of Appreciative Leadership is in theory and approach to organizing known as Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Appreciative Inquiry is a philosophy and a methodology for positive change. AI seeks to discover the unique, positive qualities and capabilities of an organization and use these as the foundation for future development or change. AI is based on the assumption that organizations will change in the direction of the questions asked. It is a process of organizational change that emphasizes positive questions and collaborative inquiry as a source for enhanced performance and creating a common purpose. The essence of Appreciative Inquiry is the study of what “gives life,” energy, and vitality to organizations, teams, and people when they are at their best.
AI is firmly grounded in social constructionist theory, ideas around the power of generative conversations, and the centrality of relationships and language in the functioning of organizations. The appreciative Inquiry process engages large numbers of people in discussions about their individual and collective strengths and their desires, opportunities, and plans for collaborative action.
In short, AI tries to address two questions as a starting point, What problems the organizations is currently having, and what seems to be working around here. Then the next step is to improve by focusing on and doing more of what is working well.
Ask the following questions to yourself to start the journey on the path to appreciative leadership:
1. What are my strengths as a leader when working with others?
2. How can I show that I appreciate and value others' contributions?
3. What can I do to engage people in finding solutions and work collaboratively?
4. How can I encourage creative thinking and innovation in people?
Model of Appreciative Leadership:
The model of leadership put forth by Whitney, Trosten-Bloom, and Rader is extremely well aligned and consistent in theory and practice with AI. The authors introduce the Five Core Strategies of Appreciative Leadership on which the model of Appreciative Leadership is based; Inquiry, Illumination, Inclusion, Inspiration, and Integrity. Appreciate what is working, imagine what could be, design what should be, and create what will be!
According to Whitney and her colleagues, there are five core strategies to appreciative leadership:
1. Inquiry: asking positive powerful questions
Inquiry lets people know that you value them and their contributions. When you ask people to share their thoughts and feelings you show your appreciation for their inputs and experiences.
2. Illumination: bringing out the best in people and situations
Illumination helps people understand how they can best contribute. This is the process to help people learn about their strengths and the strengths of others.
3. Inclusion: engaging with people to co-create the future
Inclusion gives people a sense of belonging. This is the process of inclusiveness and collaboration and co-creation. This is about creating an environment in which people feel they are a part of something.
4. Inspiration: awakening the creative spirit in everyone
Inspiration provides people with a sense of direction. By forging a vision and path forward, you give people hope and unleash energy.
5. Integrity: making choices for the good of the whole
Integrity lets people know that they are expected to give their best for the greater good and that they can trust others to do the same.
Books to Read:
Appreciative Leadership by Diana Whitney, et al (2010)
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, 2nd Edition by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom
Related Links
You May Also Like
-
Charisma is a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men. Charismatic Leader gathers followers, through dint of personality and charm. Understand the meaning and concept of Charismatic Leadership and the qualities of a charismatic leader. Gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of using charismatic leadership. Finally, explore the difference between charismatic and transformational leadership.
-
Collaborative leadership is all about collaborative problem-solving and decision-making or can also be defined as the leadership of a collaborative effort. . The term started to appear in the mid-1990s in response to the formation of long term public-private partnerships to rebuild public infrastructure. Learn how you can use principles of collaborative leadership to enhance your leadership skills for being an effective leader.
-
This style is characterized by leaders making decisions for others and expecting followers to follow instructions. The directive leader is adept at giving instructions, setting expectations, and establishing timelines and performance standards. However, it is possible for the same leaders to display both directive and supportive behavior as per the demands of the situation.
-
A good leadership style is something that every effective leader must have in order to succeed, but identifying what that entails or does not entails might be difficult to understand. Most of the research on leadership focuses on the exemplary, best practices, and positive attributes of effective and successful leaders. This article talks about a new approach to learn leadership using lessons from bad leadership. That is the lessons to be learned by examining leaders who have not effectively exercised their power, authority, or influence.
-
Authentic leadership is an approach to leadership that emphasizes building the leader's legitimacy through honest relationships with followers which value their input and are built on an ethical foundation. The authentic leader acts upon his or her values and beliefs, and inspires others to do the same, is committed to know and develop oneself. Are you committed to developing yourself; know your motivations and the purpose of your leadership? Read this article to know more about authentic leadership style and discovering your authentic self.
-
Crisis leadership is a very important part of leading in today's world. The skills a leader needs in order to guide people during a crisis are different from the skills needed to help a group grow. Are you a good crisis leader? What is your leadership style in case of a business crisis situation? A business crisis can test the strongest of leaders, read this article to explore how to ensure you’re ready to take action and weather the storm when one strikes you.
-
Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Leadership is a task of persuasion, of winning people’s minds and hearts. Storytelling is thus inherently suited for the task of leadership. Learn about the narrative leadership style and how to use this style to inspire and motivate followers or to manage change.
-
Laissez-faire is a style of leadership that affords the group members a great deal of independence. Tasks are delegated to the group members and they are responsible to see the project through to fruition. Research has shown that this style of leadership leads to the lowest levels of productivity. This article explains this style and covers the implications of having a hands-off approach and the situations where this style could be effective.
-
What are the functions which a leader does to establish as a leader? What are the activities undertaken by them to become great leaders, rather revolutionary leaders? The most important tasks done by a leader in all situations are defining the vision, mission, and goals, leading the team, administrative functions, motivating followers, decision making and conflict resolution, and continuous development.
-
Authoritarian Leadership Style
Although generally considered as a traditional, outdated, and non-preferred style of leadership, the autocratic style still can be used effectively in certain situations. It is a leadership style characterized by individual absolute control over a group. If you work for an autocratic leader, your job is usually to do what you're told. Learn more about this style and situations where this could be an effective style to use and when to avoid this type of approach. Analyze the characteristics of this style to evaluate if your followers consider you an authoritarian leader!
