Page 19 - Appreciative Leadership

xviii Introduction

an executive from Hunter Douglas all personally attended our
Foundations of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop before
initiating changes in their organizations. All of these leaders
continued to engage in learning and development opportunities
with us, at Case Western Reserve University, and with other
appreciative leaders, to build their capacities to work with AI.

Perhaps more significantly, they were all open to learning from
employees and stakeholders and to changing themselves as well
as their organizations in the process.

Reflecting back on his leadership of Hunter Douglas Window
Fashions Division’s initiative, former vice president of human
resources Mike Burns described the personal nature of his journey:

Leading this effort made a difference in virtually every
aspect of my life. Day in and day out, it reminded me to look
at positive possibilities rather than negative obstacles. It
gave me tools to be a more compassionate, more inspiring
parent, partner, and friend.
As I think about it, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) gave me
tools that made my life better—for me, and for the people
around me. What more could you ask?

Rick Pellett, president of the company, described similarly
profound changes in himself and his worldview:

The AI work I did began to change me, almost right away.
It got me asking questions—not just about the company,
but about my life. It opened doors for me, and it invited me
to consider where I was heading and whether it was the
future I really wanted to live. It compelled me to take action
to correct things that I’d simply chosen to live with for years
and years and years.
I recognized that this experience might not create the
same kind of “awakening” in everybody that it touched.
But for me, it was revolutionary. And for many of the other