I am very delighted to announce that there is a new leadership book on the scene!  ‘Inspiring Leadership’ has been written by a group of the Ashridge faculty, taking in different aspects of contemporary leadership thinking and scholarship with particular connection to leading in a VUCA (volative, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world.  And it includes a chapter on Appreciative Leadership from Mike Brent and me!

This chapter brings together different aspects of appreciative traditions, and includes some very practical ideas about how to stay appreciative in tough times, as well as the benefits of doing so.  The chapter draws on Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Psychology as well as Solutions Focus.  As a taster here is one short extract, about using one single word – “Suppose”:

__________________

Suppose…

This is a very useful word in the leader’s vocabulary.  “Suppose” is a word which invites people into a different world – one where things are a little different.  Exploring this different world can illuminate all kinds of possibilities.  It is a two-syllable gateway to creativity, an invitation to join in a discussion on a different basis to the usual everyday real-world need for facts and accuracy.

Another way to think about this is in terms of using the term, “What if….”

As in saying, for example, What if something was different – what would we do then?  This is a useful thing to do when the way ahead is unclear, and new ideas are needed.

• “What if… we had double the budget, what would we spend it on?”
• “What if… we had no money at all next month, how might we keep going?”
• What if… we found a way to get instant customer feedback?”

These are all invitations to explore an alternative reality, to extend our thinking and to draw people together in a novel way.

Some people worry that by asking “Suppose” or “What if”, they are implying that the thing might (or even must) happen.  This is of course not the case – as long as you make it clear why we are supposing something.

(The next section gives practical down-to-earth tips on how to do this!)

______________

I hope you will want to check out the book, with this chapter as well as many other fascinting contributions.  See the book on Google Books, or check it out on Amazon.  There is a Kindle edition available which also saves money.  Here is the complete contents list: