Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization [Hardcover]

Diana Whitney (Author), Amanda Trosten-Bloom (Author), Kae Rader (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2010

Advance Praise for Appreciative Leadership:

"A must-read for leaders at all levels who believe that both common sense and business sense require engaging and encouraging rather than mandating or manipulating. It may become my most-recommended book." -- Frank Rogers-Witte, Ph.D., Director, Executive Staff Effectiveness, Hewlett-Packard IPG

"Building on a simple but powerful idea, Appreciative Leadership offers an approach to organizational transformation applicable to institutions as varied as businesses, universities, church bodies, and health systems. Packed with dozens of stories and suggestions, it offers key insights translated into replicable strategies for action." -- Jane McAuliffe, Ph.D., President, Bryn Mawr College

"The positive basis of power is illuminated brilliantly in this courageous leadership book. Appreciative Leadership touches the heart of leadership--the kind people most deeply desire--in a way that will change lives, businesses, and every relationship you wish to build." -- David L. Cooperrider, Ph.D., Professor of Social Entrepreneurship, Case Western Reserve University

"Leadership driven by principles and integrity is more important today than ever. Appreciative Leadership shows how to blend principles of collaboration, quality, and service for both long-term achievement and practical daily impact. It provides a model of success for a new generation of leaders." -- R. Edward Howell, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, University of Virginia Medical Center

The Positive Approach to Leadership That Brings Out the Best in Everyone Appreciative Inquiry has become one of the most popular new management tools in business today. Its premise is simple yet profound: Instead of focusing on what's wrong in the workplace, learn about and build upon what works.

Dr. Diana Whitney--a leader in the field of Appreciative Inquiry--and colleagues Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Kae Rader bring the next generation of these ideas forward, with practical and proven tools for leadership. A refreshingly different approach to managing organizations, Appreciative Leadership turns conventional management thinking on its head, demonstrating how to get results with "positive power." All you need are the five "I's" . . .

• INQUIRY: Leading with positively powerful questions.
• ILLUMINATION: Bringing out the best in people and situations.
• INCLUSION: Engaging with others to cocreate the future.
• INSPIRATION: Awakening the creative spirit.
• INTEGRITY: Making choices for the good of the whole.

This revolutionary approach brings people together, drives companies forward--and takes your leadership skills to a whole new level.

Appreciative Leadership shows you how to fully engage your team through positive inquiry and open dialogue--so that everyone feels included and valued, inspired and motivated . . . and ready to work together to win. In this user-friendly guide, you'll discover exciting new techniques to open up discussions, exchange ideas, agree on a plan, and follow up on your goals. You'll learn simple tips on how to keep your team on track with a can-do attitude. And you'll find satisfying new ways to be engaged, passionate, and present.

This book isn't a quick-fix solution to your management problems. It's a full-time, lifelong commitment to your values, your vision, and your connection to others. This is how the best leaders in the world bring out the best in people, their organizations, and themselves. This is Appreciative Leadership.

Diana Whitney, Ph.D., is the president of Corporation for Positive Change, an international consultancy based in North Carolina, bringing Appreciative Inquiry to the most pressing issues of our time. She is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and executive advisor for clients such as Merck, British Airways, Verizon, and Johnson & Johnson. Amanda Trosten-Bloom is the managing director of Corporation for Positive Change. She is an internationally recognized consultant, author, and speaker. Kae Rader is a consulting partner of Corporation for Positive Change, has extensive managerial experience, and is an experienced consultant and speaker.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

About the Authors
Diana Whitney Ph.D. is the President of Corporation for Positive Change, an international consulting firm specializing in the application of Appreciative Inquiry – the revolutionary process she helped develop and spread – to resolve the most pressing challenges of our time. In fields ranging from healthcare to education; from peace-building to business; from community development to government, Diana coaches executives and their teams in support of organization culture transformation, and strategic development. With over thirty years of experience, her clients include Merck, British Airways, Verizon, J&J, Calgary Health Region, University of Virginia Health System, Idaho Department of Education, and Sisters of Good Shepherd.

Diana is a Founder of the Taos Institute, a center for dialogue among family therapists, educators and organization consultants. She is a Fellow of the World Business Academy. She is a Distinguished Consulting Faculty at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center where she teaches and advises PhD students. She is an expert faculty for the NCR Picker Patient Centered Care Institute. Diana was also the President of the Philadelphia Chapter of SHRM.

Dr. Whitney received her Ph.D. from Temple University (1980) in the field of Organizational Communication. Her early research into the dissemination of educational innovations funded by the National Institute of Education created an agenda for the ongoing development of educational R&D laboratories throughout the United States.

Amanda Trosten-Bloom is Managing Director for Corporation for Positive Change – the premier consulting firm using Appreciative Inquiry for transformation and innovation in business, government and nonprofits around the world. One of the first consultants to use Appreciative Inquiry for whole system change in a business setting, Amanda is also an internationally recognized Appreciative Inquiry trainer, author and speaker. Her work focuses primarily on strength-based change in the areas of culture transformation, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, leadership development, and business process improvement.

Kae Rader MPA is an associate with the Corporation for Positive Change (CPC), Kae is one of a select few from around the world licensed to facilitate CPC's Appreciative Leadership Development Program. She has more than 30 years of management and leadership and service in the nonprofit sector, Kae Rader is a dynamic facilitator and results-oriented consultant who specialize in positive, practical approaches to organizational effectiveness. Clients in her consulting practice include: U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Idaho State Board of Education and USA Diving. She speaks on the fundamentals of Appreciative Inquiry and its value to enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (June 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071714065
• ISBN-13: 978-0071714068
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A bold New Way to Lead June 19, 2010

By David Basarab

Format:Hardcover

A different way to lead using proven techniques that bring the best out in everyone. Appreciative Leadership is so simple, yet powerful for unleashing organizational potential, leading to superior performance, which drives increased business results. I especially am drawn to the concepts of:

(1) Analysis of root cause success ... daily acts of excellence
(2) The formula for Principled Performance
(3) The Key Ingredients for Organizational Success

Appreciative Leadership is the way that I want to lead and be led.

Thank you Diana, Amanda, and Kae

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable contribution to the field of leadership October 11, 2010

By Tom Devane

Format:Hardcover

Lots of leaders out there understand that they need to redesign some of their existing work processes for greater efficiency. They instinctively know that involving groups of people in developing a new strategy can create energy for its implementation. And they "get it" that it can be helpful to use proven change management principles and group methods to help people lift themselves to higher levels of performance. Smart leaders also totally buy into the notion that innovation will be one important key to sustainable competitive advantage. And sure, if they've kept a watchful eye on the recent scientific and business press, they're also aware of how impactful it can be to approach work and people in the workplace with a positive attitude.

But, unfortunately, there has been very little written about what leaders need to do that addresses ALL the above in one succinct, pragmatic guide. That is, until now. With Appreciative Leadership, there's now a compact reference guide for leaders who wish to enhance their positive impact and significantly improve their organization's performance.

I really like this book from both a content standpoint and a book organization standpoint.

From a content perspective, this book is unique. This isn't your traditional leadership model reconstituted and repackaged. This is something entirely different. The book's foundation premise is that it's best to start any change effort by focusing on the strengths that we have as individuals, teams, and organizations. The approach then builds positively on this foundation to bring people into a more positive future that they themselves envision and create. This future can be for any number of improvement types, such as process streamlining, a new strategy, changing the culture, people's development, or resolving a sticky community issue.

While some critics may cry out "focusing primarily on the positive ignores reality in a Pollyanna-ish sort of way" it's because they haven't seen the power of this strengths-based approach in action. I have. And the results can be truly remarkable. Negative aspects of reality do get addressed with this leadership approach -- it's just that they're addressed in a positive context of people co-creating a more desirable future. And, as many research studies have shown, this approach creates considerably more organizational energy for moving forward than focusing on the negative.

From a book organization perspective, this book is a highly accessible, pragmatic reference. The book is succinctly organized into five core strategies required for both novice and master appreciative leaders: Inquiry, Illumination, Inclusion, Inspiration, and Integrity. These five I's provide a handy mnemonic for leaders to consider when they encounter new situations requiring a positive, strengths-based leadership approach. And I like that it's an approach that can be used by all levels of leadership within organization for improved results.

Throughout the book the authors provide concrete, real-life examples that illustrate the implementation of these strategies, as well as periodic "Pause Buttons" that encourage the reader to reflect on the key points just made and how they might be applicable to the reader's own personal leadership opportunities. And the final chapter provides a succinct summary of the book's key points, as well as some pragmatic application questions to help apply the key points to one's own life and leadership situations.

I heartily recommend this book to corporate, government, non-profit, and community leaders seeking to do remarkable things based on a strength-based paradigm.

Tom Devane
Co-author, The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems
Author, Integrating Lean Six Sigma and High-Performance Organizations: Leading the Charge Toward Dramatic, Rapid, and Sustainable Improvement

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Leadership that works July 8, 2010

By otte, j.w.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

With this new book Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Kae Rader have found the way to my heart and I am sure to many of you readers as well. Working with Appreciative Inquiry gives so much energy and the feeling that we're creating a better world, that with now the talk story of these three great storytellers, we have the opportunity to make the next step. As an organization development consultant I am constantly looking for better ways to help my customers. And with Appreciative Leadership I found a way that works. The examples of how things work for many through the book are a great inspiration.
With the 5 I's (Inquiry, Illumination, Inclusion, Inspiration and Integrity) we now have guidelines to work with. Not only for leaders, but also leaders to be and consultants, this book is an absolute must read for those who work in an ever changing environment. By appreciating the strengths in ourself and others we can help people grow to become the person they need to be and were born to be. Connecting with others to grow is what creates the leaders of today and tomorrow.

Jose Otte
Mizu, leadership development
Netherlands