Appreciative leadership in action
My friend Cathy Monnin is head of one the larger regional libraries and one of the most visionary and appreciative leaders I’ve had the pleasure to partner with. Today, she relates the following.
Her librarians have been recently terrorized by a group of older teen boys. She calls one of the informal leaders into her office and lays it out: My staff have been spending alot of time with you guys, so do you think there’s some way for us to be productive together? Logical stunned silence from the youth.
She continues: What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now?
I’m afraid I’ll be a dishwasher.
What do you want to be doing?
Running my own business.
Well how are you guys going to be doing that acting like you are today?
Silence again.
What if we get some people in here to talk to you about what starting a business takes?
He agrees.
Cathy’s now collaborating with the high school folks to make this happen. It doesn’t get any more appreciative than that.
