Page 232 - Appreciative Leadership

Conclusion

Make a career of humanity.… You will make a greater
person of yourself, a greater nation of your country,
and a finer world to live in.

—MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Appreciative Leadership exists at all levels and in all positions of an
organization or community. It resides among people as a force for
elevated performance and positive change. A relational dynamic, it
emerges when people join together for a common cause, a meaningful
purpose, or a provocative curiosity in ways that bring out the best of
each other and the situation. At its best Appreciative Leadership is

• Inquiry based: Recognizing that people and groups move in the
direction of what they study, Appreciative Leadership puts forth

questions more often than prescriptions.
• Illuminating: Appreciative Leadership sees people and the world
as they are—for better and for worse; and it chooses to live and
work in the energetically positive, to bring out the best.
• Inclusive, engaging, and inviting: Appreciative Leadership extends
its relational reach in order to ensure that everyone whose future it
is has a voice in creating the future. It fosters inquiry and dialogue
across divides and among improbable pairs.
• Inspiring and life affi rming: Appreciative Leadership unleashes
the creative spirit and gives hope for the future. In so doing, it
mobilizes people’s hearts, minds, and hands toward visions of a
better world.
• Integral and Holistic: Appreciative Leadership holds forth integ-
rity. It lives, works, and serves in support of human well-being,
life-affirming organizations, and a sustainable world.

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