Page 122 - Appreciative Leadership

The Genius of Inclusion 95

The new and innovative Leadership in Energy and Envi-

ronmental Design (LEED) process is based on inclusion. It
requires that all the stakeholders involved in constructing a
building get together to plan the building process. Architects,
engineers, and subcontractors from all the trades collaborate
right from the start. Historically this just wasn’t done. It is a
new process that avoids all the glitches and blame that come
from lack of coordination. It makes things go a lot smoother,
and it saves time and money, in the end.

Appreciative Leadership invites all the relevant and interested
people and groups into the conversation. In contrast, authoritarian

leaders are exclusive. They talk about people and make decisions for
them. No matter how well intended, when this happens, when the
future is socially constructed by some of the people, the rest of the
people get restless. Exclusion fosters disengagement and lack of com-
mitment to shared outcomes, collaboration, and quality. Appreciative
Leadership asks, “Who needs to be involved to ensure success?” Th e
genius of inclusion comes when you identify, invite, and engage with
all the relevant and interested stakeholders for a given issue, project,
or process.
Table 5-1 shows a list of categories of stakeholders for your consid-
eration. It is designed to help you determine whom to invite to meet-
ings and events. First, identify the groups, departments, and functions
that need to be included. Second, identify specific people in each area.

Use it when you want to expand the diversity of people you invite.
It can be helpful when determing whom to invite to meetings, proj-
ect planning sessions, team development programs, and community
planning events, as well as strategic planning sessions. The table is a

useful tool for determining and enhancing inclusion in any dialogue,
decision-making, or planning process.