The Approach & Philosophy The approach and philosophy of the program was based on the work of Cooperidder and Whitney (1999), who explored positive individual and organizational change in their book, They promoted a strength-based approach to Appreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for Change. organizational and individual change as opposed to focusing on gaps and mitigating weaknesses. This strength-based philosophy was important to support program goals and was employed in the design and delivery of the cohort sessions in the LDI program. Also important to the design and implementation was that individuals learn best in groups known as Wenger’s principle of in order to develop leadership by working together “communities practice” (Wenger 1998), on real issues and problems (Cummings et al. 2008; Palus & Drath 1995; University of Exeter 2005, p. 5; Zenger et al. 2000). later work described how to cultivate and sustain Wenger’s communities of practice in an organization (Wenger, McDermott & Synder 2002). To support the vision and purpose statements, the program was then designed to develop relationships, foster dialogue, encourage personal reflection, and bridge organizational levels. Program Design Principles The LDI program was designed so leaders considered their individual learning needs based on their competencies, role, and level in the organization, and then selected courses from a variety of internal and external offerings. The Steering Committee determined that
The Approach & Philosophy The approach and philosophy of the program was based on the work of Cooperidder and Whitney (1999), who explored positive individual and organizational change in their book, Appreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for Change. They promoted a strength-based approach to organizational and individual change as opposed to focusing on gaps and mitigating weaknesses. This strength-based philosophy was important to support program goals and was employed in the design and delivery of the cohort sessions in the LDI program. Also important to the design and implementation was Wenger’s principle that individuals learn best in groups known as “communities of practice” (Wenger 1998), in order to develop leadership by working together on real issues and problems (Cummings et al. 2008; Palus & Drath 1995; University of Exeter 2005, p. 5; Zenger et al. 2000). Wenger’s later work described how to cultivate and sustain communities of practice in an organization (Wenger, McDermott & Synder 2002). To support the vision and purpose statements, the program was then designed to develop relationships, foster dialogue, encourage personal reflection, and bridge organizational levels. Program Design Principles The LDI program was designed so leaders considered their individual learning needs based on their competencies, role, and level in the organization, and then selected courses from a variety of internal and external offerings. The Steering Committee determined that