About the Book

Behind today’s most creative and successful people is a secret: an ability to reframe reality to reveal the hidden possibilities within even the most apparently unpromising situation—to, as the authors of this groundbreaking study term it, “see the mighty oak in the acorn.” Appreciative intelligence^® provides a new answer to what enables successful people to dream up their extraordinary and innovative ideas; why employees, partners, colleagues, investors, and other stakeholders join them on the path to their goals, and how they achieve these goals despite obstacles and challenges. It is not simple optimism. People with appreciative intelligence are realistic and action-oriented—they have the ability to not just identify positive potential but to devise a course of action to take advantage of it.

Thatchenkery and Metzker outline the evidence for appreciative intelligence and detail its specific characteristics, using real-world examples like Asa Candler, who looked at a failing headache remedy called Coca-Cola and saw a bestselling soft drink; and Charles Pellerin, who helped NASA bounce back from the Hubble telescope debacle. They show how leaders like these are able to spread appreciative intelligence throughout an organization, and offer tools and exercises readers can use to increase their own level of appreciative intelligence and so become more creative, resilient, successful, and personally fulfilled.

About the Authors

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