Storytelling as a Tool for Appreciative Leaders: Cultivating Wellbeing and Inclusion in Polarized School and Community Contexts

Prompted by three recent studies and current tensions facing Canadian society, we have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue about how our research might help us to reflect on how leaders inside the school and in the community foster wellbeing, reduce the impact of social and political polarization, and promote greater interpersonal acceptance and understanding in diverse groups. In this chapter, we bring the findings of three past studies together, apply Appreciative Leadership as a theoretical framework, and explore the recent literature. Considering our recent inquiries into school, community, and leader wellbeing, we urge leaders to adopt storytelling as an effective tool for the development of wellbeing. Using the My Story Matters technique leaders will be able to foster a sense of collective responsibility for wellbeing and to build a community that understands that diversity does not prevent authentic connections.