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Making a Positive Difference with Appreciative Leadership 199

• Spiritual intelligence: See the world and oneself through a God- or
spirit-centered lens, and adapt one’s life and actions accordingly.

Cultivating your own character is then an important way in which
you can make a positive difference in the world; but it is not necessar-

ily easy. It takes courage, dedication, patience, and support to explore,
learn about, and develop yourself. Practices to help you do this include
recognizing and using your strengths, expanding your inner dialogue,
and engaging in conscious decision making.

Liberate Others’ Creative Potential

A second way in which you will make a positive diff erence through
Appreciative Leadership is by liberating other people’s creative
potential. Appreciative Leadership holds all people in positive
regard. Appreciative leaders are coaches and facilitators dedicated to

helping others be the best they can be. They make a positive diff erence
through strengths-based inquiry, dialogue, and communication; and

they liberate the creativity of others and instill confidence by encour-
aging people to discover, express, and realize their strengths, hopes,
and dreams.
People who work from their strengths, listen to their intuition,
and follow their dreams are generally happier, healthier, and more
productive than people who just work for the money. Any time you

help people recognize their strengths and redefine their job to use

their strengths, you are making a positive difference. Any time you
listen to the intuition or the “crazy idea” of another person, you are
opening the door for his or her creativity to fl ow. Any time you help
individuals make choices that are good for them, that are healthy, or
that improve the quality of their lives, you are making a positive dif-
ference in the world.
Take John as an example. A Web site designer by trade, John
loves technology—a love that he eagerly shares with his clients. His
transparent systems invite experimentation and play; and whenever
asked, he actively educates and coaches. Th e effect? Even middle-aged