Appreciative Leadership: The Call of Our Time

Dr. Diana Whitney, Corporation for Positive Change

In the midst of the many economic, social and environmental challenges facing us today there is a glimmer of hope. A positive revolution in human organizing and change management is underway, offering new possibilities and practices for the field of organization development.

Research into positive psychology suggests that people flourish and perform at their best when surrounded by positive emotions and positive communication. Teams, departments and entire organizations thrive in a positive emotional environment. Strengths based research makes the case for human learning and development in areas of strength rather than weakness. And the success of the fully affirmative, high engagement practices of Appreciative Inquiry provides a compelling course for creating large-scale alignment, innovation and positive change in organizations and communities worldwide.

In her keynote address, Dr. Diana Whitney, who is best known for her work with Appreciative Inquiry will explore leadership at the intersection of these three emerging fields: Positive Psychology, the Strengths Movement and Appreciative Inquiry. She will provide an overview of the research and ideas in her newest book Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization (McGraw Hill, July 2010).

Diana will preview Five Core Strategies of Appreciative Leadership: the Wisdom of Inquiry; the Genius of Inclusion; the Art of Illumination; the Courage of Inspiration; and the Path of Integrity, illustrated with practical examples and stories from her experience as a leading consultant and executive advisor. Join her for a rich and enlivening consideration of how the strength based, relational strategies of Appreciative Leadership can be used to address the most pressing issues of our time.