Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Appreciative Living (AL)

Instructions for writing: Leaders grow by looking deeper at what we appreciate, such as improving our awareness of internal and external stakeholders in our organizations. Appreciating who you are and where you come from helps create strong leadership. Eliminating negativity to focus on positivity makes us more effective leaders. Reference the module readings and presentations to develop an original response to the following question: What leadership styles do you use to demonstrate the use of appreciative inquiry and appreciative living? Focus on finding the best in others, a positive core in organizations and people, inspiration to change, shifting automatic thinking to open your mind and heart, and eliminating negative bias. Respond to each of the posts below in one paragraph. There should be two paragraphs for these two posts. Post 1 What leadership styles do you use to demonstrate the use of appreciative inquiry and appreciative living? Focus on finding the best in others, a positive core in organizations and people, inspiration to change, shifting automatic thinking to open your mind and heart, and eliminating negative bias. ​​Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a positive approach to leadership development and​ ​organizational change that focuses on​ discovering ​and building on the strengths and​ values ​of individuals and​ teams (Nanwani, 2021). AI can foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and engagement by asking affirmations and actions. Demonstrating leadership styles in AI is important because it can help leaders to create a shared vision, inspire and empower others, and facilitate the 4D cycle of AI: discovery, dream, design, and destiny (Nanwani, 2021). Different leadership styles may be more effective in distinct phases of the AI process, depending on the context and the goals. By demonstrating leadership styles in AI, leaders can leverage the positive potential of their teams and organizations and create a more fulfilling and productive work environment. Appreciative living (AL) is a way of life that focuses on the positive aspects of oneself, others, and the world (Nanwani, 2021). Leadership styles in AL are important because they help leaders to create a culture of appreciation, where people feel valued, respected, and inspired. Leadership styles in AL also help leaders to cope with challenges and uncertainties, by emphasizing the strengths and opportunities rather than the weaknesses and problems. Leadership styles in AL are important because they enhance the well-being and performance of both leaders and followers and enable them to achieve their goals in ethical and prosocial ways. Two leadership styles that I use to demonstrate AI and AL are transformational ​leadership and servant leadership. Transformational leadership is a style that involves​ ​inspiring and motivating followers​ and achieving a shared vision, while also providing them with individualized support and feedback (Cera & Abbas, 2023). Transformational leaders can leverage AI and AL to enhance leaders' creativity, innovation, and data-driven insights, while also fostering a culture of learning and experimentation among their followers. Servant leadership involves putting the needs and interests of followers above one’s own, while also empowering them to grow and develop their potential. Servant leaders can leverage AI and AL to automate routine and mundane tasks, while also focusing on the human and ethical aspects of their work. Leaders can also use AI and AL to enhance their empathy, compassion, and listening skills, while also creating a climate of trust and respect among their followers. For me, these two leadership styles help me find the best in others, have a positive core in organization and people, inspire to change, shift to thinking to open my mind and heart, and to eliminate negative bias. ​​References:​ Cera, E., & Abbas, Z. (2023). Transformational leadership fostering open innovation: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Proceedings of the European Conference on Management, Leadership & Governance, 63–71. ​​Suresh Nanwani. (2021). Organization and Education Development: Reflecting and​ ​Transforming in a Self-Discovery Journey. Routledge​. Post 2 Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and appreciative living (AL) are approaches in leadership that focus on recognizing and building upon the positive aspects of individuals and organizations (Nanwani, 2022). These align with transformative and servant leadership styles. They emphasize the importance of finding the best in others and fostering positivity. In my leadership approach, I lean heavily on transformative leadership principles. This style is inherently appreciative and seeks to motivate team members (Bass & Riggio, 2012). I try to do this by focusing on positive potential and encouraging innovation. By emphasizing the strengths and achievements, transformative leaders can provide a sense of purpose and drive positive change within the organization. According to Bass & Riggio (2012) this style elevates morale and performance by engaging and empowering individuals. Servant leadership is another style that uses appreciative living and inquiry. It's grounded in the philosophy of leading by serving others, placing the growth and wellbeing of people as the highest priority (Bass & Riggio, 2012). I believe it addresses improving the core of institutions (Nanwani, 2022). In practice, it involves a shift from automatic, often critical or problem-focused thinking, to a mindset that actively seeks out the positive attributes of individuals or situations. This helps in eliminating negative biases (Nanwani, 2022) and opening the mind and heart to new perspectives. Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2012). Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Taylor and Francis. Nanwani, S. (2022). Organization and Education Development: Reflecting and transforming in a self-discovery journey. Routledge.