Page 35 - Appreciative Leadership

8 Appreciative Leadership

Appreciative leaders see the glass as half full. They look for and are

able to consistently see the inherent positive potential in any situation,

no matter how dire it may seem. They understand the value of posi-
tive images to inspire and give hope. They share stories of success and

offer images of possibility so that others have a positive path forward.

Rather than talking about what cannot happen, what the problem is,
or why things won’t work, they talk about what is needed, what is
possible, and what will be done. Their positive worldview oft en takes

form as a can-do attitude.
On the heels of a narrow loss in the New Hampshire primary elec-
tion of 2008, soon-to-be-president Barack Obama demonstrated this
positive worldview in what was described by some as one of the most
inspiring concession speeches ever delivered:

For most of this campaign, we were far behind. We always
knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you
came out, and you spoke up for change. And with your voices
and your votes, you made it clear that at this moment, in this
election, there is something happening in America. … We are
ready to take this country in a fundamentally new direction.
We know the battle ahead will be long. But always remem-
ber that, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing
can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling
for change. …
We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been

warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been
anything false about hope. For when we have faced down
impossible odds, when we’ve been told we’re not ready or that
we shouldn’t try or that we can’t, generations of Americans
have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of
a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. 7