Page 163 - Appreciative Leadership

136 Appreciative Leadership

service work they did. They couldn’t imagine contributing as much
as one as they do as two. Wondering how to support and inspire
other partners, they created the “2 2 Re-create the World Award.”
Each year the Vallarta Institute, their coaching and consulting orga-

nization, awards $2,222.22 to a pair that exemplifies the power of
two. Jackson and Monette articulated this foundational value when
presenting their fi rst award: “For us the award is a small and hope-
fully inspiring way to thank others who have also experienced and
demonstrated the power that any two people have to make a positive

difference in the world.
Now in its fi fth award year, they have already recognized the fol-

lowing pairs:

• A Cuban and U.S. pair of authors that collaborated with 12 other
6
authors to write “Cultures of Participation at Work in Cuba and
7
the United States,” demonstrating grassroots professional col-
laboration in an environment of high-level political confl ict
• A reproductive health leader in Ethiopia and a university profes-
sor in Mexico who never met but whose paths crossed in how
they approached their respective work
• Two married couples in Chile who have built leadership among
rural farm families
• A deceased National Painter of Mexico and his artist daughter,
who continues her father’s legacy by converting their family home
into an art and theater workshop for poor children

Appreciative Leadership holds all people in high regard and on a
regular basis finds ways to appreciate them and their contributions.

While it may not be explicitly stated in your job description at work,
it is implicitly stated in the operating instructions for being human:
Appreciation is the fuel of high performance. It inspires people to give
their best and contribute to the good of the whole; and it stimulates
health and emotional well-being. Table 6-1 summarizes seven reasons
to give appreciation generously.