Please respond to the posts. In your own words
Leadership Styles and Appreciative Inquiry in Practice
by Christine Rassel
This week’s readings and presentations encouraged me to reflect on my leadership mindset. I realized that I often focus too heavily on the negative aspects of my current leadership environment. With recent changes in program leadership at my university, I entered the situation with apprehension due to past experiences. That initial negativity created a bias that influenced how I viewed the new director and the overall climate.
I see myself as a transformational leader with anti-gravitational leanings, committed to inspiring growth and encouraging change. However, applying the principles of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) offers an important opportunity for improvement. AI emphasizes building on strengths, uncovering a positive core in people and organizations, and shifting attention toward what is working rather than what is broken (Mohn, 2022). By approaching my leadership interactions with this mindset, I can reframe challenges as opportunities to generate positive change.
Nanwani (2021) highlights leadership as a journey of self-discovery that requires reflection on both internal and external influences. Appreciative living supports this journey by encouraging leaders to focus on gratitude, eliminate negative bias, and create space for positivity. For me, this means rethinking how I interpret leadership shortcomings: rather than resigning myself to frustration, I can identify small successes and build upon them. This shift could strengthen my own well-being, enhance collaboration with colleagues, and create a healthier office environment.
Bringing AI into my leadership practice also extends to the classroom. By modeling appreciative living, I can cultivate an atmosphere of encouragement and openness for my students. While I still recognize shortcomings in organizational leadership, adopting an appreciative perspective allows me to move beyond criticism and become more effective in shaping the environment around me. Adopting appreciative inquiry feels like a valuable way to reframe my current situation and strengthen my growth as a transformational leader.
References
Mohn, E. (2022). Appreciative inquiry (AI). Salem Press Encyclopedia.
Nanwani, S. (2021). Organization and education development: Reflecting and transforming in a self-discovery journey [ebook]. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
