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Appreciative Leadership
Advance Praise for Appreciative "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 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" . . .
257 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2010
32 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 6, 2025
Yawn. Took 200 pages to say "be nice and considerate of others"
March 8, 2015
No new information here. The author wrote the same book in 2005. There are better books and theories out there. I am not a fan of the touchy-feely approach to leadership. I felt like the author wanted everyone to get a hug and I'm not the hugging type. Most importantly, the author told stories that were supposed to illuminate the success of Appreciative Leadership but they were incomplete or vague or pie-in-the-sky.
April 5, 2016
From their exploration of leadership, including personal observations, interviews, and focus groups, authors Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom, and Kae Rader have developed a framework for what they call appreciative leadership.
In Chapter 1, they define appreciative leadership as follows:
• It is relational – tuning into existing patterns of collaboration;
• It is positive – respecting all people and seeing the best in them;
• It turns potential into positive power; and,
• It has a rippling effect.
In Chapter 2, the authors emphasize that appreciative leadership seeks everywhere – even unlikely places - for positive and creative potential: “Appreciative Leadership is like mining. You know the gems are there, you just don’t know where they are.” (21) They offer 8 “mining sites”, including people’s stories of past successes, their edgy ideas, and even their cynicism. With respect to the last source, they quote Peter Lange: “Behind every cynical statement is a dream wanting to be expressed.” (37)
Chapters 3 though 7 present the 5 core strategies of appreciative leadership: inquiry, illumination, inclusion, inspiration, and integrity.
The chapter on inquiry begins with a challenge to leaders to ask more than they tell – to be mindful of their ask-to-tell ratio. (30) Leaders are also encouraged to challenge people’s thinking by asking values-based questions. Most importantly, leaders must learn how to perform the Flip: turn a negative issue or problem into a positive question. When presented by someone with a problem or complaint, a leader can accomplish the Flip by following 3 steps:
• Listen carefully and repeat what was said;
• Ask, “What is it that you really want?”; and,
• Reflect on what you heard by describing in a 2 or 3-word phrase what the person really wants.
The authors stress that “Appreciative leaders flip questions about problems to questions about success.” (45)
The authors add that habitual problems are prime candidates for the Flip. The 3 parts of an appreciative question are as follows:
• Value-based affirmative topic - a 2 to 4-word phrase that conveys a core value;
• Rapport-building lead-in - 3/4 sentences that explain the topic and its meaning through a
high-point experience of it;
• Empowering probes – W5H questions that analyze the specifics of the high-point story.
Chapter 3 ends with a great statement on the value of inquiry: “Inquiry is a silo buster. It gives people who need to (but don’t) work together a way to come together and learn about and from each other.”(52)
Illumination, the second core strategy, is the theme of Chapter 4. Four illumination practices are identified: seeking, seeing, sharing, and aligning the best of people and situations. (59) Seeking and seeing the best of people can be achieved by starting conversations and beginning meetings with the appreciative check-in – simply asking people to share a recent success story. Strength spotting in people essentially involves active listening skills. Coaching is a highly illuminating practice through the collection and analysis of stories and observations. Illuminating also involves aligning of people’s strengths with each other and organizational core priorities. Finally, illumination seeks to get at the root causes of success through asking people two questions:
• Describe a time when you experienced us at our best;
• What caused us to be at our best in this situation? (80)
The chapter closes with the suggestion that the optimal ratio of positive to negative conversations is 5 to 1.
The 3rd core strategy, inclusion, is explored in Chapter 5. On a personal level, leaders are challenged to attend to their inner dialogues – “what [they] think, feel, and talk to [them]selves about” other people. (92) Inclusive leaders reflect and think about the strengths of others rather than be judgmental. In conversations, inclusive leaders create conditions that make it safe and invitational for all people to speak up.
Inclusion has 2 dimensions – both wide and deep. “Widening is the practice of extending the reach of your social network, to include more and different people”, while “deepening … is the practice of enhancing the quality and strength of relationships”. (106-107) Effective strategies for deepening relationships are facilitating conversations between improbable pairs and practicing improbable participation. The latter strategy involves inviting the least suited people into projects and programs. Appreciative leaders “create a sense of ‘we’ among a diverse group of people.” (113)
In Chapter 7, leaders are offered strategies for inspiring their staffs. One technique is to tell stories of success. Another is the regular practice of expressing appreciation in creative and meaningful ways. A third approach is the sharing of a compelling vision. A vision will inspire when it is:
• Desired by your staff;
• Inclusive, meeting everyone’s needs;
• A believable stretch – that is, a lofty but obtainable goal;
• Requires collaboration to be achieved; and,
• Requires creativity.
The authors summarize their views on inspiration as follows: “Inspiration is evoked when people share stories of success, use elevated language, and paint compelling visions of the future.” (152)
The final core strategy, integrity, involves aligning all elements of an organization to worthy principles. A leader demonstrates integrity by always making value-based decisions. A leader with integrity always keeps his/her word and is relationally responsible. Being responsible towards others means being honest, forgiving, and when appropriate, apologetic. An appreciative leader “…follows one of the cardinal rules of improvisational theater, which is to say ‘yes and…’ even to mistakes”, turning them into opportunities. (190)
The authors conclude their book with three essential ways that appreciative leadership will have a positive impact:
• It will cultivate the character of the leader that practices it, making him/her a better person;
• It will liberate other people’s creative potential; and,
• It will promote collaboration.
In Chapter 1, they define appreciative leadership as follows:
• It is relational – tuning into existing patterns of collaboration;
• It is positive – respecting all people and seeing the best in them;
• It turns potential into positive power; and,
• It has a rippling effect.
In Chapter 2, the authors emphasize that appreciative leadership seeks everywhere – even unlikely places - for positive and creative potential: “Appreciative Leadership is like mining. You know the gems are there, you just don’t know where they are.” (21) They offer 8 “mining sites”, including people’s stories of past successes, their edgy ideas, and even their cynicism. With respect to the last source, they quote Peter Lange: “Behind every cynical statement is a dream wanting to be expressed.” (37)
Chapters 3 though 7 present the 5 core strategies of appreciative leadership: inquiry, illumination, inclusion, inspiration, and integrity.
The chapter on inquiry begins with a challenge to leaders to ask more than they tell – to be mindful of their ask-to-tell ratio. (30) Leaders are also encouraged to challenge people’s thinking by asking values-based questions. Most importantly, leaders must learn how to perform the Flip: turn a negative issue or problem into a positive question. When presented by someone with a problem or complaint, a leader can accomplish the Flip by following 3 steps:
• Listen carefully and repeat what was said;
• Ask, “What is it that you really want?”; and,
• Reflect on what you heard by describing in a 2 or 3-word phrase what the person really wants.
The authors stress that “Appreciative leaders flip questions about problems to questions about success.” (45)
The authors add that habitual problems are prime candidates for the Flip. The 3 parts of an appreciative question are as follows:
• Value-based affirmative topic - a 2 to 4-word phrase that conveys a core value;
• Rapport-building lead-in - 3/4 sentences that explain the topic and its meaning through a
high-point experience of it;
• Empowering probes – W5H questions that analyze the specifics of the high-point story.
Chapter 3 ends with a great statement on the value of inquiry: “Inquiry is a silo buster. It gives people who need to (but don’t) work together a way to come together and learn about and from each other.”(52)
Illumination, the second core strategy, is the theme of Chapter 4. Four illumination practices are identified: seeking, seeing, sharing, and aligning the best of people and situations. (59) Seeking and seeing the best of people can be achieved by starting conversations and beginning meetings with the appreciative check-in – simply asking people to share a recent success story. Strength spotting in people essentially involves active listening skills. Coaching is a highly illuminating practice through the collection and analysis of stories and observations. Illuminating also involves aligning of people’s strengths with each other and organizational core priorities. Finally, illumination seeks to get at the root causes of success through asking people two questions:
• Describe a time when you experienced us at our best;
• What caused us to be at our best in this situation? (80)
The chapter closes with the suggestion that the optimal ratio of positive to negative conversations is 5 to 1.
The 3rd core strategy, inclusion, is explored in Chapter 5. On a personal level, leaders are challenged to attend to their inner dialogues – “what [they] think, feel, and talk to [them]selves about” other people. (92) Inclusive leaders reflect and think about the strengths of others rather than be judgmental. In conversations, inclusive leaders create conditions that make it safe and invitational for all people to speak up.
Inclusion has 2 dimensions – both wide and deep. “Widening is the practice of extending the reach of your social network, to include more and different people”, while “deepening … is the practice of enhancing the quality and strength of relationships”. (106-107) Effective strategies for deepening relationships are facilitating conversations between improbable pairs and practicing improbable participation. The latter strategy involves inviting the least suited people into projects and programs. Appreciative leaders “create a sense of ‘we’ among a diverse group of people.” (113)
In Chapter 7, leaders are offered strategies for inspiring their staffs. One technique is to tell stories of success. Another is the regular practice of expressing appreciation in creative and meaningful ways. A third approach is the sharing of a compelling vision. A vision will inspire when it is:
• Desired by your staff;
• Inclusive, meeting everyone’s needs;
• A believable stretch – that is, a lofty but obtainable goal;
• Requires collaboration to be achieved; and,
• Requires creativity.
The authors summarize their views on inspiration as follows: “Inspiration is evoked when people share stories of success, use elevated language, and paint compelling visions of the future.” (152)
The final core strategy, integrity, involves aligning all elements of an organization to worthy principles. A leader demonstrates integrity by always making value-based decisions. A leader with integrity always keeps his/her word and is relationally responsible. Being responsible towards others means being honest, forgiving, and when appropriate, apologetic. An appreciative leader “…follows one of the cardinal rules of improvisational theater, which is to say ‘yes and…’ even to mistakes”, turning them into opportunities. (190)
The authors conclude their book with three essential ways that appreciative leadership will have a positive impact:
• It will cultivate the character of the leader that practices it, making him/her a better person;
• It will liberate other people’s creative potential; and,
• It will promote collaboration.
October 14, 2017
My familiarity with the topic was not rich, and this was a good text for understanding it better. AI is a big idea, and this is a helpful book.
September 10, 2018
Some helpful information but I did not enjoy the read.
April 17, 2022
There are definitely leaders in the world that should read this book, but it was a struggle to get through. Clearly written in the late '00s, it doesn't hold up culturally to 2022.
January 20, 2017
Appreciative Inquiry has been transformative in my life, and so I dove into this book. The first several chapters delivered what I wanted: fresh lenses for seeing the world through the appreciative framework. The framework falters in the last few chapters, though, as I found the theme to hang together a loosely. Still - a strong read for any person who wants to approach leadership from a strengths-based, collaborative perspective. The world could use more appreciative leadership.
December 26, 2011
I'm biased. As a co-author, I think this book is the perfect blend of leadership, business and spirituality. It grew out of our years of experience as consultants and seekers. Filled with practical activities for those who wish to increase their leadership capacities and cultivate their character.
August 1, 2012
This book is truly amazing. It is making a difference in all my relationships, not just work ones. Highly recommend it.
June 20, 2012
Anyone in any leadership capacity should read this book. Thanks to @Lori Ryan for opening my eyes to new possibilities! Am re-reading this!
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November 13, 2017Read by ACRL Member of the Week Haipeng Li. Learn more about Haipeng on the ACRL Insider Blog.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews