Appreciative Leadership

The practice of Appreciative Leadership is one of the key ways to ensure that the right people stay in the right places, and as such inspire a highly functional business.

Appreciative Leadership starts with an ability to recognize and acknowledge what’s working, as well as the spirit of inquiry and investigation to understand what isn’t working. The latter is often most challenging when conflict or dissatisfaction are at play, or if your leadership style is based on either the finger-in-every-pot or the hands-off approach. In their book, Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate, Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro outline three elements required to express genuine appreciation, which I have expanded on below:

Seek to understand the other’s viewpoint.

Many of us consider ourselves good listeners, but listening is an art that requires ongoing attention and practice. When we truly use reflective listening, we start with the assumption that the speaker has all the self-insight they need, and rather than interpret or reframe their words, we start with their words to check our own understanding. Often times, listening requires that you pay attention to the meaning behind the words. Ask yourself these questions to help reach true understanding:

• What is it that this person is saying with words?
• What meaning am I making from their nonverbal cues?
• What is the bigger picture here, the “meta-messages” that may be informing this perspective?
• Where is my own attention right now? What may be interfering with my ability to truly hear what the other person is saying?

The point of these questions is not that you become a mind-reader, but to help you understand the gaps in your own understanding, so that you can ask better questions and develop genuine curiosity about the other person’s perspective.

Find merit in what each person thinks, feels and does.

Most people equate being acknowledged with being appreciated, which does not mean that you have to be in agreement with their perspective. Curiosity, when delivered with respect and sincerity, is in itself a way to appreciate the other. Again, this requires the skill of being able to listen beyond the words. Consider this:

• Thinking: How are their thoughts organized? What meaning are they making from this situation? What conclusions are they drawing?
• Feelings: What is the emotion behind their words? What may be a core concern? What is ultimately at stake here?
• Behaviors: What efforts have they taken that may not have been acknowledged? Are there any inconsistencies between what they say and what they do, and what questions can I ask about this?

Communicate your understanding through words and actions.

Appreciative Leadership requires consistency and authenticity – our words and actions must be in alignment in order to motivate others and earn their respect. By using a combination of reflective listening and consistent action (if you say you’re going to think about their perspective, do so and then follow up with them), you will build good rapport, and ultimately inspire a team of leaders who help you achieve and surpass the goals of your business.

Appreciative Leadership does not mean that you have to agree with every idea or acknowledge underperformance. It does mean that you invest in the team to make sure that, once the right person is in the right job, you have the commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to move your business from functional to exceptional.