| Stressful workplace situations within small businesses have increased within the 21st century, and leadership traits from the past may not have the flexibility necessary to address these new stressors. The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders and followers within small business organizations overcame stressful situations or challenges and if an appreciative intelligence (AQ) leadership trait was present during that time. The research was an exploratory study with semistructured, open-ended interviews conducted face-to-face with 18 leaders and followers from 5 small businesses within the Midwest. The result of this research conducted within the natural setting of each participant's workplace provided rich insights from leaders' and followers' personal experiences, observations, and perspectives. The researcher then (a) sequenced the data, (b) categorized the data, (c) developed themes, (d) interpreted the data, and (e) finalized the theme set. The current AQ competencies (a) persistence of thought or behavior, (b) communication of confidence, (c) tolerance or management of risk, and (d) irrepressible resilience were present in almost every situation. Several other themes arose from the data collected. The most often mentioned were (a) openness to team building and team unity, (b) expressive personal faith, (c) confidence in what is being said, and (d) capacity to provide strategy and clear directive. The research contributes to an AQ leadership perception regarding stressful small business workplace situations and challenges. |
