We particularly like the label given by one of our Sage leaders about entrepreneurship: “Two words come to mind when I think of effective leadership: gentle fierceness. You have to have compassion and be a good listener. You also have to be grounded and be able to cut through like an arrow to the truth of the matter. And understand what is being asked and what is being required.”
We conclude this brief journey into entrepreneurship as a generative act by noting that many of our Sage leaders have come to recognize that entrepreneurship requires patience and a recognition that change does not happen overnight. It seems from all of our sources, that generativity of all kinds requires patience – whether we are relating to our own children, guiding a cherished project, mentoring a younger colleague, or advocating for an important cause. It also seems that our job as a professional coach is often to support our client in being patient in their own leadership. From an appreciative perspective we are there to help our client “lean into the future” and look for the long-term desired outcomes rather than the short-term fixes and quarterly returns. We can reference Jim Collins (2001) own research-baaed conclusion that patience is one of the key virtues to be found among “great” leaders.
Appreciation as Source of Energy and a Foundational Process
We now turn to the second and third alternative definitions of generativity by suggesting that both forms, when applying in an interpersonal setting where caring takes place, are fulfilled in the act of appreciation. Appreciation, in turn, is about identifying the strengths and potentials in other people and the possibilities to be found in challenges we confront. It is about “catching people when they are doing it right!” and “seeing each challenge as a door opening to a new possibility.” One of our Sage leaders hits on this point directly:
“I like collaborative leaders. Some people advocate or lead from a sense of outrage. This approach may have a role, but I don’t respect it. What I do admire is a leader who looks at possibilities and holds them by opening doors and asking questions. I want to be like that and am to some extent. I emulate people who I see as effective. It’s more “appreciative” in nature, and I didn’t even know that term until I met a colleague in our county’s health and human service agency as a great example of a leader I admire tremendously. He allows and encourages the people under him to be good at what they do—and that’s certainly an emerging part for me. He’s also so thoughtful and kind and has a broad perspective. I just love working with him. His boundaries are not so tight that you can’t move inside them.”
Appreciation is also to be found in the recognition of one’s own strengths and enduring values. This is where an appreciative approach to professional coaching is of particular values (Bergquist and Mura, 2011) We are catching our own coaching clients “when they are doing it right.” ’Integrity and authenticity come with this recognition of strength and accomplishment. With repeated acknowledge of distinctive strengths comes the capacity to act consistently with integrity and authenticity. As coaches we help clients appreciate themselves while appreciating other people. This seems to be critical in engaging all forms of generativity.
We conclude this return to alternative definitions of generativity by offering a particularly astute set of observations made by one of our Sage leaders about the power of appreciation as a leverage point for the generation of energy and strategies for collaboration.
“I have seen leaders make several serious mistakes. One is confusing the organization with its mission. It’s very easy for the organization to take on a “will to survive,” similar to “the guardian” within us as individuals. This can blind those in the organization from exploring collaborations or even mergers that could better achieve the mission. It can also cause organizations to develop competitive rather than resource-sharing strategies. It can get all mixed-up with protecting one’s job and personal survival needs. And it takes courage to keep focused on the mission, especially in times of shifting paradigms and challenging economic issues.”
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