Leadership: Appreciating the small stuff

Conventional wisdom suggests the role of a leader is to drive improvement from the "top". I've spent much of the last two years involved in big transformation projects, but more recently, I've found the most significant change can emerge from the ground up. As a leader, instead of focusing on the architecture and structures, I can often have more impact by influencing the climate of the organisation. By creating the right conditions, good practice starts to evolve and flourish, and generates an energy all of its own.

It's easy to fall into the trap of taking a deficit approach to change and too often the small things get overlooked. By taking on a position of appreciative enquiry, we can avoid losing sight of the good things that are happening already. The most successful organisations I've worked for have a way of evolving, building on the stuff that works, and stopping the things that don't. Having a clear purpose that people across the organisation understand is critical.