Keynote presentation at the World Appreciative Inquiry Conference, Ghent, Belgium, 2012.

1. Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org

2. Thomas Jefferson
“Every organization needs a positive revolution.”
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 2

3. Dream Catcher
You must learn to
live and work in
the Energetically
Positive.
Understand and do
what gives life to
the people.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 3

4. Appreciative Leadership:
The Nexus of Three Revolutionary Fields
Appreciative
Inquiry
Positive Strengths
Psychology Movement
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 4

5. The Leadership Challenge Today
 IBM Global Chief Executive Officer Study 2010.
 Over 1500 CEOs Worldwide Interviewed.
 Biggest challenge:complexity of a global environment.
 Single most important leadership competency:creativity.
 Successful organizations co-create products and services
with customers. They integrate customers into core
business processes.
 Better performing organizations manage complexity
through operational dexterity.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 5

6. Appreciative Inquiry:
A Process for the Age of Co-Creativity
 Many leaders today have visions and values that are
incongruent with old paradigm methodologies.
 They are in search of new paradigm processes and
methodologies for leadership, innovation and change.
 Appreciative Inquiry answers the call.
 What problem solving was to the industrial age;
Appreciative Inquiry is to the co-creative age.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 6

7. Appreciative
Inquiry
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 7

8. AI Invites a Reconfiguration of …
1. Logics and Language
 From Deficit to Strength Based Logics and Language
 Root Cause of Success, WWW, Positive Problem Solving
2. Lens on Performance
 From Individualistic, Behavioral Lens to a Systemic,
Relational Lens
3. Ways of Knowing and Evidence
 To Quantitative Metrics we add Qualitative Experiences,
Personal Stories and Metaphors
4. Voice of Authority
 From Few to Many to the Whole
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 8

9. Leadership Narratives
 Systemic and relational, not individualistic.
 Leadership of this conference…
 Leaders of this conference…
 Are about how and why things happen – or don’t.
 Performances, Strategies, Ways of Doing Things,
Processes, Resources, Relationships and Results
What is your Story of Leadership of Successful
Appreciative Inquiry Initiatives?
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10. A Mini Interview (5 minutes each)
 Turn to one other person and ask:
 Reflect upon a successful AI initiative and its Leadership. It
can be a project you have been part of, or one that you have
heard about – large or small. Tell me about it.
 Describe the leadership.
 How did leadership contribute to this success?
 How did it bring out the best of the people involved?
 What do you most respect about this leadership?
 What words and phrases best describe this leadership?
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 10

11. What are some of the most innovative and meaningful
words and phrases that you heard used to describe
Leadership?
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 11

12. Leadership of Successful AI Initiatives
 Active participation of people at all levels and functions
with other members of their organization and community
to create a better way.
 Openness and enjoyment in the surprise of learning.
 Caring about people. The purpose of their organization as
helping people develop and have a better life.
 Truly believe and practice the power of the positive.
Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 12

13. Our Research:
What kind of leadership brings out your best and
creates a high performance work environment?
Answer: Positive Power
Making a Positive
Difference
Recognition &
Appreciation
Focus on What
Works Well
Positive
Attitudes &
Emotions
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 13

14. Appreciative Leadership
“The relational capacity to mobilize creative
potential and turn it into positive power,
setting in motion ripples of confidence,
energy, enthusiasm, and performance that
make a positive difference in the world.”
Whitney, Trosten-Bloom and Rader
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 14

15. Appreciative Leadership:
Five Relational Strategies
Inquiry
Illumination
Inclusion
Inspiration
Integrity
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 15

16. The Wisdom of INQUIRY
Leadership by Asking Positively Powerful Questions
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 16

17. Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 17

18. “Tell me about the river that connects you.”
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 18

19. Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 19

20. The Genius of INCLUSION
Leadership by Engaging with People
“Don’t Talk About Me Without Me”
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 20

21. The Quest for Uniqueness
Inquiry into the unique
values, strengths, hopes
and dreams of seemingly
different people is what
generates collective
wisdom, and leads to the
Genius of the Whole.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 21

22. An Improbable Group
 Idaho State Department
of Education
 AI Summit – 250 People
 Focus: Educational
Services for Students who
are Deaf and Blind
 Sub-Text: Should we close
the school?
 Who would you include?
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 22

23. Who Would You Include?
 Teachers  Parents
 School Administrators  Family Members
 Students – Blind and Deaf  Community Members
 Adults – Blind and Deaf  Local Board of Education
 Governor’s Office  State Dept. of Education
 Advocacy Groups  State Legislators
 Educators at all Levels  Sign Interpreters
 Other States FacingSimilar  Guide Dogs
Issues  The Public
 Others?
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24. Outcomes
 Consensus Decision to Keep the School
 Set of Agreed Upon Recommendations to the
State Department of Education
 Acceptance and Budgeting of the
Recommendations by the State Legislature
 Significantly Strengthened Relationships
 Greater Parental Involvement
 Improved Services for Deaf and Blind Students
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25. Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 25

26. Strengths
Movement
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 26

27. Strengths
“Near perfect  Feel easy.
performance in an  Increase excellence, success,
activity.” productivity.
 Provide a sense of joy, flow,
energy, and fulfillment.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
Buckingham and Clifton
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 27

28. Excellent Performers
 Are rarely well-rounded.
 They capitalize on their strengths.
 They minimize their weaknesses.
 Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her
areas of greatest strengths.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
Buckingham and Clifton
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 28

29. Strengths: Traits or Narratives?
Labels Stories
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30. The Art of ILLUMINATION
Leadership by Bringing Out the Best of People & Situations
‘Interpretative Generosity’
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31. Practice: Strengths Spotting
Thanks to Peter Lang and Elspeth McAdam, KCC, UK
1. Select a partner – improbable partner.
2. Ask your partner to tell you a success story.
3. Listen to discover your partners strengths.
4. Reflect those strengths back to your partner.
Reverse Roles
4 Minutes Each - Total Time 8 minutes
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 31

32. Leadership Strengths Spotting Inquiry
1. Tell me about a personal leadership success,
something that you have done in the past few months
or year, that gave you great satisfaction and pride.
1. What did you do?
2. Who or what gave you the idea to do this?
3. Who else was involved and how did you relate to them?
4. What else did you do?
5. Tell me more about what you did to make this a success.
2. Based upon your success story, I would say that some
of your leadership strengths are…
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33. Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 33

34. Positive
Psychology
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 34

35. Positivity
Broaden and Build Theory Dr. Barbara Fredrickson
 Broadens Peoples’ Attention
and Thinking
 Undoes Lingering Negative
Emotional Arousal
 Creates Resiliency to Change
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36. More of Fredrickson’s Research
Positive Emotions & Performance
Joy……….……...play, imagination, experimentation Innovation
Interest…...involvement, investigate, explore New Knowledge
Optimism.....opportunity, confidence, persevere Achievement
Contentment...savor, integrate complex ideas Deeper Insight
Love……………..….……….………………connect, relate Cooperation
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 36

37. Positivity Ratio = Flourishing
“People flourish in the presence of positive emotions
and positive communication.”
The Healthy Range is 4+ : 1- ------------- 11+ : 1-
MarcialLosada, Chile
Successful Teams 5+:1-
John and Julie Gottman, Seattle, WA
Long Term Successful Marriages 5+:1-
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 37

38. The Courage of INSPIRATION
Leadership by Awakening the Creative Spirit
Achievement, change and innovation are all correlated to
positive emotions.
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39. The choice is yours…
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 39

40. We Are All Intimately Connected.
 Our questions, words and
choices are fateful.
 They create ripples.
 Large or small, conscious or
unconscious, they
influence our lives and the
lives of others.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 40

41. The Path of INTEGRITY
Leadership by Making Choices for the Good of the Whole
Whole = Integral = Integrated = Complete = Wholeness
Healthy = Healed = Holy = Sacred
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 41

42. “To be on the path of
Integrity is to be moving,
growing and evolving
toward wholeness; and to
be supporting and enabling
others to do the same.”
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 42

43. “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.”
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 43

44. Five Strategies of Appreciative Leadership
1. Inquiry: Ask Positively Powerful Questions.
2. Inclusion: Invite Improbable Participation.
3. Illumination: Be a Strengths Spotter.
4. Inspiration: Maintain a 5/1 Positivity Ratio.
5. Integrity: Make a Career of Humanity.
Diana Whitney, Ph.D. www.positivechange.org 44

45. To keep the conversation going…
Diana Whitney, Ph.D.
diana@positivechange.org
Corporation for Positive Change
www.positivechange.org
 Consulting
 AI Workshops/Training/Certification
 Leadership Development
 Keynote Speaking
Twitter: DianaWhitneyPhD
LinkedIn Group: Positive Change Practitioners
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