Page 189 - Appreciative Leadership

162 Appreciative Leadership

listen to their personal ideas, thoughts, and feelings. More signifi cantly,
however, they want leadership to attend to the voice of the whole.
Drs. Diana Whitney and David Cooperrider have written, “Th e expe-

rience of wholeness satisfies the human need to be part of a larger
community, to feel like you belong. It establishes trust among diff erent
people and credibility in outcomes. When everyone is part of a deci-
2
sion, you know it will stick.” As Whitney and Cooperrider suggest,
public conversations that reveal the “whole story” engender commit-
ment and shared responsibility.
Appreciative Leadership demonstrates integrity by ensuring the
alignment of the whole organization. It makes certain that purpose,
principles, practices, priorities, and processes are congruent through-
out the entire organization. People want leadership that walks the
talk. They want leadership teams that espouse, live, and lead with a

shared set of values, a shared leadership style, and a shared approach
to human development and change. People want the “logos, ethos,
and pathos” of the organization to make sense together. Th ey want
the strategic plan to make sense in the industry and to be congru-
ent with the marketing plan, the way customers are treated, and the
way resources are disbursed. They want everyone in all departments,

functions, and levels of the organization to be held accountable to
the same work ethic. In short, they want to respect the whole of the

organization. They want to feel that they belong to an integrated
whole that is larger and more positively powerful than any one
person or group.
Processes that create whole-system alignment also advance orga-

nizational agility and flexibility. Paradoxically, they also establish a
strong culture, and generate the collective capacity for positive change.
When members of an organization or community gather regularly to
consciously discuss and align their strategies, systems, and structures,
they build relationships, develop collaborate capabilities, and foster
the commitment needed for large-scale change. Appreciative Leader-
ship attends to the balance of stability and change; the need for whole-
system alignment and agility; and the need for a strong organizational
culture that embodies the willingness to change.