Building Resilience with Appreciative InquiryÂ

Despair, an angry cry into silence.

This is a story I will not tell.

It is not that you will not listen.

No, it is about me.

How do I tell you I am failing?

How do I tell you I am lost?

How do I tell you not to follow me?

How do I tell you I am just showing up?

I was once strong, strong enough—for everything

My leadership honed by the years, carved by

wisdom emboldened by action.

This is a story I cannot tell.

Our language of work has no metaphor,

no refrain

for the dark loss of hope.

JMCB 2017

CHAPTER 4

Despair: Devastationor Glancing Blow

Despair is a state that arrives uncalled and unbidden. It is the hardest of states for leaders. How can you lead when you can’t see the horizon? Leadership by its nature is a journey of successes and challenges. ...