Lambertville, MI, Feb. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lawsuits. Lost jobs. Lost loved ones. Financial trouble. Leaders today can’t predict the complex challenges they’re called on to face—personal or professional—BUT they can build resilience to be prepared for anything that may come. Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry: A Leadership Journey through Hope, Despair, and Forgiveness, published by Berrett-Koehler and available now on Amazon, shows leaders how to build the skill of resilience to weather any storm.
“Resilience” has become a buzz word in the business world, but most insights focus on how one battles adversity and survives challenging times. In contrast, veteran consultants Joan McArthur-Blair and Jeanie Cockell view resilience as a skill we build every day in good times and in bad. In Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry, Joan and Jeanie introduce the concept of “Appreciative Resilience,” which uses the power of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to foster resilience. (AI is a framework for asking questions and telling stories to shed light on what’s working well.) In short, Appreciative Resilience shows leaders how they can learn and practice resilience as they experience hope, despair, and forgiveness in their work and life.
“Leadership can be a catalytic force for positive futures in the world. Thus, there is a great need for leaders to adapt, grow, and change in the face of adversity. We hope this book helps leaders learn and practice how to pick themselves up and move forward,” shared the authors.
Joan and Jeanie are passionate interviews and compelling writers who can discuss topics such as:
• What is Appreciative Resilience, how it’s different, and how it works
• The 3 constant leadership states—hope, despair, and forgiveness
• The art of “resiliencing”
• Why questions you ask daily matter for everything and everyone
• The power of reframing: how to see potential even in darkest times
• The importance of forgiveness in leadership
• Daily acts to build resilience
• How to reside with complex and challenging events
• How to see the potential in everything and everybody
Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry features a foreword by Appreciative Inquiry founder David Cooperrider, and has already received rave reviews:
"Refreshing and beautifully written, ‘Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry’ is rich with engaging stories, reflective questions, and practical applications that will better enable you to thrive in your work, life, and leadership. Read this book and flourish.”—Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling “The Leadership Challenge” and Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
"While there is no clear road map through the new and unprecedented challenges that today’s leaders face in our ever-increasingly complex world, in ‘Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry,’ Jeanie and Joan provide a compass to help any leader—formal or otherwise—navigate the often bumpy journey with compassion and resilience."—Lindsey N. Godwin, PhD, Director, David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry, and Professor of Management, Robert P. Stiller School of Business, Champlain College
“Jeanie and Joan model bravery throughout this book. They dive into the human condition of despair and apply Appreciative Inquiry practices to being resilient. With exercises and dramatic stories, they share this as a framework for facilitators, coaches, trainers, and leaders to ‘fan the capacity to inquire into and fuel the bravery leaders hold in their hearts.’”—Kathy Becker, President and CEO, Company of Experts, Inc., and CEO, Center for Appreciative Inquiry
“The perfect balance of theory and practice, grounded in courageous stories of hope, despair, and forgiveness. This book inspires leaders, facilitators, and individuals with a road map for their own leadership journey. The appreciative resilience model provides an accessible framework coupled with reflective questions to guide your practice and strengthen your leadership resilience. The practical tools and workshop agenda are excellent resources for facilitators and leaders to strengthen teams and foster an environment of appreciative resilience.” —Anita Ferriss, Organizational and People Development Specialist, Camosun College
Find more info about Joan and Jeanie here and access their press kit here.
About the authors:
Dr. Jeanie Cockell and Dr. Joan McArthur-Blair are co-presidents of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting and co-authors of Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry, published by Berrett-Koehler this year.
Dr. Jeanie Cockell is a dynamic facilitator known for her ability to get diverse groups to work collaboratively together. For twenty years, Jeanie has served as an educational and organizational consultant helping people, organizations, and communities build positive futures and respond effectively to change.
Dr. Joan McArthur-Blair is an inspirational writer, speaker, and facilitator. Joan specializes in the use of Appreciative Inquiry to foster leadership, strategic planning, and innovative strategies for organizational development.
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