Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University Open Scholarship
University Libraries Publications
University Libraries
2015
The Path to Library Leadership: The Importance of
a Leadership Plan
Trevor A Dawes
Washington University in St Louis, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papers
Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Library and Information Science
Commons
Recommended Citation
Dawes, Trevor A, "The Path to Library Leadership: The Importance of a Leadership Plan" (2015). University Libraries Publications.
Paper 13.
http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papers/13
This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the University Libraries at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been
accepted for inclusion in University Libraries Publications by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more
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ThePathtoLibraryLeadership:TheImportanceofaLeadershipPlan
TopTakeawaysinthisChapter
• Developapersonalmissionstatementandrefertoitoften
• Buildrelationshipswithmentors–formalandinformal
• Knowyourlimitations
• Continuetolearnandgrow
Preparingleadersinthelibraryprofessionisbynomeansanewphenomenon.However,as
onelooksatthenumberofleadershiptraininganddevelopmentprograms,institutes,
workshops,andconferences,youmightbegintoaskthequestion,“whereareallthepeople
whoparticipatedintheseprograms?”Somechoosetoremainthelibraryprofession.Others
leave,voluntarilyorinvoluntarily,becauseoflackofopportunities.Stillotherswillnot
assumepositionsthataretraditionallythoughtofasleadershippositions,thoughIwould
arguethatthesepeoplearestillleadersintheirownright.
AlthoughIbelievetheremaybesomequalitiesofleadersthatareinnate,severalleadership
qualitiescanbetaughtordeveloped,andcanbenourishedundertherightcircumstances.
Atthestartofmycollegecareer,itwasnevermyintentiontobecomealibraryleader;in
fact,itwasnotmyintentiontobecomealibrarian.Myleadershipjourney,highlightedin
thischapter,willaddresstheactionsItooktodevelopthoseskills,aswellasthesupportI
receivedfromfamily,friends,mentors,andcolleaguesthatmadeitpossibleformetobe
whereIamtoday–anassociateuniversitylibrarianatamid-sizeduniversityandapast
presidentofanationallibraryassociation.
I’vementionedtwopositionaltitlesthatIholdtodescribeleadershipinmyowncareer,but
isholdingatitlethesum-totalofleadership?Certainlynot!Early(1900–1929)definitions
ofleadershipfocusedoncontrolandpower(Rost1991).However,bythe1940s,the
definitionsbegantoincorporateelementsofdealingwithpeopleandaboutthe
relationshipsamongtheleadersandthosebeingled.Asthestudyofleadershipbeganto
growandevolve,sodidthedefinition.Bythe1960stherewas“increasingsupportfor
viewingleadershipasbehaviorthatinfluencespeopletowardsharedgoals”(Rost1991).
Definitionsthatincludethisconceptofinfluencecontinuethroughtoday,andthose
definitions,forme,aretheonesIchoosetousewhenIthinkaboutleadership.
Introduction
Whatareleadershipcharacteristics?Thereisnosimpleanswer.Leadershipexpertswill
oftensuggestthattheskillsortraitsneededmaybesituationalandthataneffectiveleader
willhavetheabilitytoadjusthisorherstyletotheparticularsituation.Specifically,for
libraryleaders,Hernon,et.albelievethereareseveral“competenciesandresponsibilitiesof
topmanagementteams”(Hernon,PowellandYoung2003).Thesecompetenciesinclude:
• HavingaVisionfortheFuture:establishingandmaintainingaculturethat
encouragesstafftodeveloptheirmaximumpotential
• DevelopingStaff:valuesandrespectstheideasofothers
•
•
•
•
•
•
ManagingPersonnel:dealswithpersonnelconsistentlyandfairly
PlanningandBudgeting:preparesabudgettoimplementthegoalsandobjectivesof
anorganization
ManagingOperations:plans,conducts,andparticipatesinmeetingssothatthe
collectiveresourcesofthegroupareusedefficientlyandeffectively
PossessingPoliticalandNegotiationSkills:Relateslibraryneedsandgoalstothose
offundingofficialsandagencies
EngagingwiththeCommunity:understandstheflow,use,andvalueofinformation
insocietyasawholeandrelatesthistotheroleoflibraries
Fundraisingskills:developsandwritesproposalsforstate,local,federal,and
privatefunds
Interestingly,theseauthorsdiscusswhatmightbeconsidered“hardskills.”Iwouldaddto
thislistofcompetencies:
• Communicatingeffectively(whichincludeshavingexcellentlisteningskills)
• Actingethically
• Managingtimeefficiently,and
• Demonstratingempathy
Thislistcouldgrowlengthy.Aseachofusthinkaboutaleaderthatweadmire,wecan
thinkofsomeofthecharacteristicsofthatpersonthatmayhavebeeninthelistabove,or
thatcouldbeaddedtothelist.Thislistoftraitsisthereforenotexhaustive,norcananylist
be.TheleadershipqualitiesaboverepresentonlyasamplingofthosethatHernonet.al
describe.They,becauseofthevolumeoftraitstheyidentifiedintheirresearch,categorized
thetraitsasfollows1:
• Planning
• ProtectiveWorkEnvironment
• ProblemSolving
• StaffGrowth
• Leadership(Advocacy)
• Leadership(DonorRelations)
• Leadership(Image/RoleSetting)
• Leadership(DirectManageChange)
• Leadership(StrategicDirections)
• EducationalAttainment
• Experience/PriorActivities
• ProfessionalGrowth/Involvement/Accomplishment
• ProfessionalPresence
• PersonalCharacteristics(InternalMake-Up)
• PersonalCharacteristics(DealingWithOthers)
• KnowledgeAreas(ProfessionalIssues)
Theabovelistdemonstratesthatthereisnoshortageofcharacteristicsthatwemightlook
forinleaders.Itwouldbeimpudenttothinkthatanyleaderwould–orcould–haveallof
thesequalities.However,asmanyleadershiptheoristswillsuggest,leadersshouldhavethe
abilitytoadjusttheirstyleaccordingtothesituation.Beingabletoadjustyourstylemay
1Hernon,Peter,RonaldR.Powell,andArthurP.Young(2003).TheNextLibraryLeadership:Attributesof
AcademicandPublicLibraryDirectors.Westport,CT:LibrariesUnlimited,pp.121-125.
presentitsownchallenges,butasGeorgeandSimsnoteinTrueNorth,leadersmustlivean
authenticlife–onethatintegratesthemajorelementsofboththepersonalandprofessional
self(GeorgeandSims2007).
Thefirstthirtyyearsaretheformativeyearsforanyleaderandthereareseveral
componentscomprisingthisstage.Duringtheseformativeyears,therearemanywaysin
whichonecandevelopleadershipskills–inthecommunity;onsportsteams;instudent
government;inemployment;orinextracurricularactivities.Itwasimportantformeto
participateinmanyoftheseactivitiesbecauseofmylevelofinterestinthem(student
governmentemployment,etc.)orbecauseIbelievedtheywouldbringsomebenefitto
others(communityservicework).
Participatingintheseactivitieshelpedmetoacquiresomeofthecharacteristicsthat
Hernondescribes.Workingaseditorofmyhighschoolstudentnewspaper,beingelectedto
studentleadershippositions,andvolunteeringbothinschoolandinthecommunityhelped
tohonesomeoftheskillsandtraitsIbelievehavehelpedwhileonmyleadershipjourney.I
understandnow,inretrospect,theimportancethoseexperienceshadonshapingmy
presentpositionsasIcontinuetouse–andimproveupon–whatIlearnedthen.Iwould
continuetoenhancemyabilitiesthroughadditionaldevelopmentopportunitiesonceI
determinedmypath.
FoundationsofLeadership
Leadershipdevelopmentprogramsabound.Ihaveparticipatedinmyshareofthese
programsandlearnedfromeachone.However,thefoundationsofmyleadershipabilities
beganwellbeforemyparticipationinanyoftheseprograms.Havingasupportivenetwork
willmakeadifferenceinhowyoudevelopasaleader.Mynetworkbeganwithmyfamily.
Myparentsandsiblingshadtoldme,sinceIwasyoung,thatIhadanentrepreneurialspirit.
Thesewerenottheexactwords,theyweremorelike,“you’reabusinessman,”butthatwas
thelanguageoftheday..Mybusinesssenseatthetimeinvolvedtakingonthechoresthat
mysiblingsweretohavedone–iftheypaidmetodoit.Paymentatthetimedidn’thaveto
beincash,thoughitoftenwas.ItcouldhavealsobeenmoretimeformetocontroltheTV
channel(thoughthereweren’tmanyoptions)orother“perks”thatchildrenmightfind
excitingorrewarding.Mysiblingswerealltoohappytooblige.Andalthoughourparents
didn’tnecessarilycelebratetheseactivities,neitherdidtheycastigatethem.Throughthese
activitiesIdevelopedastrongworkethicandasenseofself-worth–bothofwhichare
importantforleaderstohave.
ThatIwasn’tdiscouragedfromtheseactivitiesisnot,onitsown,sufficientsupport.My
abilitytoturnthoseearningsintosavingsorintobeingabletogainsome“independence”
wasdefinitelysupported–andultimatelycaughttheattentionofmysiblings.Ihadthe
resources–andthetime–todosomeofthethingsthatIwantedtodoandtheyalsowanted
tohaveasimilarlevelofindependence.Ididnotthinkofthatasleadershipatthetimebut
inretrospect,myactionsandmybehaviorshadadirectinfluenceonthoseofmysiblings.
InformationTodaypublishestheAccidentalSeriesofbooksinwhichlibrariansdiscovernew
rolesforthemselvesasthenatureoftheworkrequiredintheirlibrariesshifts2.Inasimilar
mannerIwoulddescribemyself–inthisinstance–astheaccidentalleader.
Supportintheleadershipjourneygoesbeyondfamily.Thefamiliarsaying,“ittakesa
village,”isjustasaptwhenconsideringleadershipdevelopmentasitiswhenraisingachild
orsupportingafamily.Apartofthisvillageincludesmentors,andIamhonoredtohave
hadmanymentors–bothformalandinformal–inmycareer.Mentorsplayaninvaluable
roleinleadershipdevelopment.Theycanpromotegrowth,encouragelearning,impart
knowledge,andprovideadvice.Inthebestmentorrelationshipsboththementorand
protégélearnfromeachother.
Itisunlikelythatanyonewilldisputethevalueofmentors,butfindingtherightmentor–
oneinwhichthereisamutualrelationshipbuiltontrust–canoftenbeachallenge,butnot
aninsurmountableone.Manylibraryassociationshaveformalmentoringprograms;
mentoringrelationshipscandeveloporganicallyamongcolleagues;andsomelibrarieshave
formalmentoringprogramsalthoughtheexpectedoutcomesoftheseprogramswilloften
vary.Someoftheemployer-sponsoredprogramsareintendedtoacclimatenewemployees
totheorganizationalclimateandculture;othersaregearedtowardspreparingemployees
forthetenureand/orpromotionprocess.Infindingamentoritwillbehelpfultoknowthe
area(s)inwhichyouwouldliketobementored.
Myfirstlibrarymentorswereinformalones.Iwasawork-studyemployeeinthelibrary
whileanundergraduatestudentandalthoughIhadnoideaIwantedtobealibrarianatthe
time,severallibrarianswithwhomIworkedencouragedmetothinkaboutacareerin
librarianship.Itisuncommon,Isuspect,forhighschoolstudents–especiallyyoungBlack
males–tothinkaboutgoingtocollegetobecomealibrarian.Thatcertainlywasnotonmy
agenda.Oneofthelibrarians,however,whostillremainsamentortoday,isanAfrican
American,malelibrarian.HekepttellingmethatIwouldmakeagoodlibrarian,andthatI’d
bealibraryleader.Thislibrarianwouldalsohelpmebecomeactiveinprofessional
associations.Thisrelationshipwasaninformalone.Iwas,afterall,awork-studystudent
withnodesiretobecomealibrarian.Seeinginmethequalitiesofbothalibrariananda
leader,hesoughttoencouragethose.
Ididn’tbelieveIwasperformingexceptionallywell–ofcourseIwasdoingmybest,andI
hadbeen,inmytimeasastudent,promotedtoastudentsupervisorposition,doingthe
workofsomeofthefull-timestaff.Ihadoccasiontointeract,almostdaily,withmymentor.
Wehadformalmeetingsthatwereworkrelated,butwealsohadmanyinformal
conversationsaboutawiderangeoftopics.Throughtheseconversationshediscovered
thatIwasnotcommittedtoaparticularmajorandhethereforekeptsuggestinglibrary
schoolasanoption.Iappreciated,butdidn’theed,theadvice–atleastimmediately.
Itwouldbealmosttenyearsaftercompletingmyundergraduatestudies,duringwhichtime
Icontinuedtoworkinlibraries,thatIcompletedmyMasterofLibrarySciencedegreeand
beganworkinginmyfirst“professional”libraryposition,andrealizedthatIhad
internalizedtheadviceIhadgotten.Iworkedinanenvironmentthatwassupportiveof
professionalandleadershipdevelopmentandIhadtheopportunitytoparticipateasan
attendeeinaleadershipdevelopmentprogramforearly-careerlibrarians.Iwasassigneda
2TheAccidentalSeries.InformationToday.http://books.infotoday.com/accidental.shtml[Accessed29July
2015].
formalmentorforthisprogram.Thismentorisaninternationalleaderinthefield,travels
andspeaksextensivelyandisincrediblyknowledgeableabouttheprofession.Primarily
becauseofhisschedule,wewerenotabletomeetregularlyorhaveimpromptu
conversationsinthehallway.Butwedidhaveformalscheduledmeetings,andwewould
gettogetheratconferencesorotherevents.AlthoughtherelationshipIhave,andstill
maintain,withthismentorisdifferentfromthatwhichIhavewiththepreviously
mentionedone,bothhavebeeneffectiveinprovidingsupport,guidance,careeradvice,
employmentreferences,andinsightintotheprofession.
WiththefirstmentorIlearnedmoreabouttheprofessionandwhatitmeanstobea
librarian.Ialsogainedinformationabouthowtodevelopacareerplan.Atthetimewemet
hewasasubjectlibrarianattheuniversity.Hewentontobeadepartmenthead;leftthat
universityforanother;andisnowalibrarydeanatadifferentinstitution.Wemaintained
ourrelationshipthroughouthismovesandhesharedinformationaboutwhattolookfor
whensearchingforajob;howtoknowifthejob/institutionisaright“fit”foryou,andother
tipsaboutcareerplanningandadvancement.FromthesecondIlearnedmoreabout
leadershipdevelopment.Asthiswasaformalrelationship,createdasapartofaleadership
developmentprogram,wehadmorestructuredconversationsaboutthetopicofleadership;
whatismeans;howtobeaneffectiveleader;andwespokesomeaboutwhatit’slikebeinga
directorofalarge,oftencomplexlibraryorganization.
Thesetwomentorsprovideddifferent,butbothrewarding,experiences.Thesealso
representonlytwotypesofmentoringrelationshipsthatIhavebuiltwithcolleaguesover
theyears.Althoughdifferentintheirnaturetheyserveasexamplesofhowa
mentor/protégérelationshipcanbesustainedoverseveralyearsevenifthepartiesarenot
inthesameinstitution.Oneofthekeystosuccessasaleaderistofindmentorswhowill
steeryouintherightdirection.TherehavebeenmorethanoneoccasionwhenIhavecalled
uponamentortohelpwalkmethroughasituationwithwhichIwasdealingatwork.
AlthoughIhavebeenfortunatetohaveappropriatesupportfromourhumanresources
offices,IhavefoundithelpfultocheckinwithmymentorwhenIhaveaparticularlythorny
personnelmatteraboutwhichIneedsomeadvice.Theexternalperspectivecanbe
invaluable.Thesementoringrelationshipswillnotonlyhelpwithleadershiporcareer
development,theycanalsoleadtolong-termfriendships.Oneoftheprincipalbenefitsfor
mewasgainingtheabilitytodevelopaleadershipplan.
Greatleadersempowerandsupportothersontheirleadershipjourney.JustasIfound
mentorsandhavebenefittedfromtheirexpertiseandcounsel,Ibelieveitisimportanttobe
amentortoothers.
DevelopingaLeadershipPlan
Havingapersonalmissionstatementisanimportantplanningtoolirrespectiveoftherole
youintendtoplayinlibraries.Thisplanwillprovidethecontextforallyouractions,and
canalsoserveasamotivationaltool.Thestatementdescribesyourpurposeandalso
incorporatesthevaluesthatyouholddear.Indevelopingthestatementonemustbe
realisticandsetgoalsthatarebothastretch,butonesthatarealsoattainable.Oncethe
goalsaredefined,theprocessforattainingthemmustalsobeoutlined.Developinga
leadershipplanisverymuchlikecreatingamissionstatementforalibraryoranyother
organization.Inthisplanyouenvisionwhereyouwanttobeandwhatstepsyouneedto
takeinordertogetthere.
Developingmymissionstatementwasajourneyofself-(re)discoveryandlearning.There
areafewconcepts–or,perhaps,guidelines–thatIkeepinmindwhencreatingmyplan:
• SetS.M.A.R.T.(Specific,Measurable,Attainable,Realistic,andTime-Bound)Goals
• Createanactionplantopursuethegoals
• Beopentonewopportunities/beflexible
• Taketimetoreflectonexperiences
• Helpotherslearn
• Focusonstrengthsandmakeadevelopmentplan
• Seekfeedbackfromavarietyoftrustedsources
• Rememberthatthisisaprocess
Therearenumeroustoolsavailabletohelponecreateapersonalmissionstatement.
Libraryleadershipprograms(orothernon-libraryspecificprogramsalso)mayincludea
componentonhowtosetandachievepersonalgoals.OnetoolthatIhaveused,and
recommended,isthe“Values,Visions,andMissionsWorkSheet”inthe1995Annual.3
Theworksheetusesaprocessof“clarifyingvalues,writingavisionstatement,andthen
developingamissionstatement”(p.63).Thisstep-by-stepcomprehensiveprocessbegins
withsharingsomeprinciplesofpersonalstrategicplanning,followedbysomequestions
designedtoelicityourpersonalvision.Samplequestionsinclude:
• Listsomecorevaluesthathavebeenimportanttoyouthroughoutyourlife
• Describethecareeryouwantandtheprofessionalpersonyouaspiretobecome
• Describeyourdistinctivecompetency
Thevisionstatementthendescribesthepersonyouwanttobeinthreetofiveyears.Using
asetofestablishedcriteria,youthendraftthemissionstatementthatisveryspecificand
servesasaguideformakingallprofessionalandpersonaldecisions.Theworksheetends
withdevelopingthestrategiesthatwillbeusedinattainingthegoals.
IwasfirstintroducedtothisworksheetwhenIparticipatedinaleadershipdevelopment
workshopintheearly2000sandhavebeenusingiteversince.Oneexampleofitsusewas
whenIdecided,in2005,thatIwantedtobecomepresidentofanationallibraryassociation
within5years.Asafirsttimeattendeeofthisconferencein2005Iwassoimpressedwith
thequalityofprogrammingandtheorganizationitselfthatcouldputonsucharelevant
conferencethatIwantedtoleadthatorganization.Therewillbemoments,suchasthis
experienceforme,thathavesuchanimpactonyou,thatithelpstoshapeyourfuture.Ihad
recentlystartedanewjob,partofanearlierplan,andthereforeneededtorefreshmygoals.
Aftersecuringsupportfrommythenlibrarydirector,Istoodforelectiontotheboardofthe
association.DespiteanunsuccessfulbidforaseatontheBoard,Icontinuedtoremain
activeintheassociationbyactivelyparticipatingincommittees,chairinggroups,and
attendingconferences.IalsosharedwithalmostanyonewhowouldlistenthatIwantedto
bepresidentoftheassociationandwhy.Iwasbothsurprisedanddelightedwhen,in2011,
3Pfeiffer,J.William.1995.The1995Annual.SanDiego:Pfeiffer&Co.
thechairofthenominatingcommitteeoftheassociationcalledtoaskifIwantedtostand
forelectionasvice-president/presidentelect.Iwassuccessful.Theinvitationtobea
candidatecameayearaftermytimeframeandmytermaspresidenttwoyearslater,butI
amconfidentthatestablishing,andactivelyworkingtowards,thegoal,enabledmetomake
ithappen.
OvertheyearsIhavefoundotherresourcesthathelpdevelopleadershipskills/abilities.
Providingmorethanjustinformationonhowtodevelopavision,OnePieceofPaperby
MikeFigliuoloasksaseriesofquestionstohelpdeveloptheleader4.Figliuolohelpsto
understandleadershipphilosophy,howtoleadyourselfandothers,andhowtoleada
balancedlife.
WhetheroneusesthePfeifferworksheetorOnePieceofPaperorsomeotherresourceto
developavisionandmission,theobjectiveisthesame:toplanthatfuturedesiredstateand
thestepsneededtogetthere.It’simportanttoreviewtheplanregularlytoensurethatyou
areontarget(IkeepminepostedonabulletinboardinmyofficewhereIcanseeit).Be
surethatdecisionsyoumakeareconsistentwiththeplan,althoughit’salsoimportantto
maintainacertainamountofflexibility.Theremaybecircumstancesthatrequireacourse
correction–whetherslightormajor.Thetimeframemayneedtobeadjustedornewgoals
setaltogetherifthegoalsarereachedinadvanceof–orafter–thestatedtimeframe.
InvestinYourself
Leadershipdevelopmentisnevercomplete.Settingavisionanddetermininggoalsarea
partofthedevelopmentprocess,butsoiscontinuouslearning.Likewithfindingamentor,
learningmaybeformalorinformal.Formalleadershipdevelopmentprogramsfor
librariansaredescribedextensivelyinCreatingLeaders:AnExaminationofAcademicand
ResearchLibraryLeadershipInstitutes.5Theauthoridentifiesandcritiquesseveralnational
leadershipdevelopmentprograms,manyofwhicharestillextant.Somestate,regional,and
locallibraryassociationsofferleadershipdevelopmentprograms,asdoindividuallibraries
andlibraryconsortia.Informallearningalsohappensinavarietyofways:through
networking;atconferences;oronline,forexample.
Afterdevelopingapersonalmissionstatement,aspiringleadersshouldconsider
participatinginaleadershipdevelopmentprogram.Theprogramofchoiceshouldbebased
onthedesiredoutcomesandwhetherornotthatprogramisdesignedtomeetthoseneeds.
Iknewfairlyearly,afterIbeganworkinginlibraries,thatIwantedtoleadinsomecapacity.
MymentorsalsoaffirmedthatIhadsomeleadershipqualities.Beforeevenbeginningmy
libraryscienceprogram,IearnedaMasterofArtsdegreeinEducationalAdministration,
understandingthebenefitthiswouldhaveforacademiclibrarypositions.Thisprogram
includedcoursesonhumanresourcesmanagement,budgeting,studentservices,and
privateschoolleadership.ThesecourseswouldservemewelllaterasIassumedpositions
ofgreaterresponsibilityinlibraries.
Iwanted,however,togetabettersenseoflibraryleadershipprogramsandiftherewas
somethingelsetobelearnedinamorecontrolledandfocusedsetting.Itwasatthispoint,
4Figliuolo,Mike.2011.OnePieceofPaper.SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.
5Herold,IreneM.,ed.(forthcoming).CreatingLeaders:AnExaminationofAcademicandResearchLibrary
LeadershipInstitutes.Chicago:AssociationofCollegeandResearchLibraries.
andafterIreceivedmylibrarydegreethatIparticipatedinmyfirstlibraryleadership
developmentprogram–aimedatearlycareerlibrarians.Inadditiontocoveringthebasics
ofleadershiptheory,thisprogramconcentratedonlibraryassessmenttechniques;
understandinganddevelopingleadershipstyles;andnetworking.YearslaterIwould
participateintwoadditionalleadershipprogramswhereweconcentratedontopicsthat
includedcollaboratingwithITcolleagues,understandingthehighereducationlandscape,
enhancingpresentationskills,projectmanagement,andnetworking.
Oneoftheprimarybenefitsthatiscommonacrossallprograms,however,isthenetworkof
colleagueswithwhomIsharedtheexperience.Thetangibletakeawaysaboutleadership
theory,projectmanagement,presentationskills,etc.,areallinvaluable.Icannotoverstate
thevalue,however,ofmeetingagroupofcolleaguesonwhomyoucancallwithquestions;
orwhenyouwanttogetadvice;orjusttohaveaconversationaboutaproblemorissue.
Manyofmycolleagueswhohavebeenthroughsimilarprogramsalsosharethissentiment.
ThelessonIlearnedfromtheseprogramstherefore,isthatthereisasmuchlearningthat
happensintheclassroomashappensoutsidetheclassroomandthatitisimportantto
maintainpositiverelationshipswithmycohortmembers,astheyprovideastrongsupport
network.
Itisgenerallyexpensivetoparticipateintheseprograms.Obtainingfinancialsupportfrom
youremployeristhebestwaytoachieveparticipation.Otherdevelopmentprograms
however,suchasthoseofferedbystateorlocalorganizations,tendtobelessexpensive.
Costwilloftenbeafactorindeterminingwhetherornottoparticipate.Thecostofthe
programshouldnotbeadeterrentbecauseIhavealwaysbelievedthatoneshouldinvestin
oneself.WiththeriseofMOOCsandotheraffordableonlinelearningoptions,thereis
practicallynoexcuse(shortofthetimeittakestomaketheinvestment)tocontinue
learning.
FailureisanOption,or,KnowYourLimits
Itcanbedifficulttofindthetimetodeveloptheskillsneededtobeaneffectiveleader.
Creatingthattimeandspacetolearn,however,iscriticalandisoneofthemostsignificant
investmentsyoucanmakeinyourself.Onewaytocontinuelearninganddevelopingis
throughvolunteerservice.Thisservicemaybeinprofessionalassociations,orreligious
groups,orcivicorganizations–whateverorganizationthatdoesworkaboutwhichyouare
passionateandwillbeabletocommittothework.
Mostofmyvolunteeractivitieshavebeenwithprofessionalassociations,atboththestate
andnationallevels.I’veservedon,orchaired,numerouscommittees,taskforces,or
workgroups.Butvolunteeringistheeasypart.Followingthroughonyourcommitments
maybelesseasy.Besuretodowhatyousayyou’regoingtodo.Byactingonyourwords
yougainthetrustandrespectofyourcolleaguesandotherleadersandthismayleadto
otherleadershipopportunities.Managingyourreputationanddemonstratingyour
leadershipcapabilitiesrequiresthatyouvolunteerinmoderationanddonotovercommit
yourtime.Rememberthatyoustillhaveafull-orpart-timejobatwhichyoualsoneedto
performwell.Itiscrucialalsotofindtherightwork/lifebalance.Itmeansdevelopingthe
abilitytosay“no.”Itissatisfyingtoberecognizedforyourworkandbeinvitedto
participateinnewordifferentactivities,eventhoseaboutwhichyouarepassionate,but
understandingthelevelofcommitmenttheassignmentwillrequire,inadditiontoother
obligations,willhelptomakeadecisiononwhetherornottoaccepttheoffer.Mostpeople
willunderstandwhenyouturndownanopportunityifyou’rehonestaboutwhyyou’re
unabletodoit.
Leadersunderstandthevalueoftakingrisksandcanoftendeterminethelevelofrisk
involvedinanactionbeforepursuingthatcourse.Takingrisks,whetherpersonalor
professional,canteachyouaboutyourselfandwhatyouneedtosucceed.Somepeopleare
afraidoftakingrisksforthefearoffailure,orbecausetheriskmaymoveusoutsideour
comfortzone.Buttakingrisks–calculatedrisks–canbefulfilling.Whenevaluatingrisks,
thereareseveralfactorsonemightconsider.Thesefactorsinclude:
• Isthisriskconsistentwithmyvalues?
• WhatotherchoicesdoIhave?
• WhatwillhappenifIdon’tpursuethiscourseofaction?
• Whatisthemotivationfortakingthisrisk?
• Whatmighttheexpectedresultsofthisactionbe?Whatwillchange?
• Whatwillbetheeffectofthisactiononothers
Theremaybeotherfactorstoconsiderbasedonthespecificactiontobetaken,butyoumay
askthesequestionsbeforeactingonanythingthatisaperceivedrisk.
Takingariskmeansyou’rewillingtotrysomethingnewinordertosucceed.Italsomeans
youarewillingtobeunsuccessful(tofail?)Failurewithoutreflectionisnotanoption.Even
iftheactiondoesn’tyieldtheresultsyouexpected,youshouldanalyzethesituationtoglean
anylessonsthatmayprovehelpfulforthenextaction.Imadereferenceearliertomy
unsuccessfulattempttobeelectedtotheboardofanationallibraryassociation.AlthoughI
wasdisappointedbytheelectionresults,IcametorealizethatIwasn’treadyforthatroleat
thetime.Mymentorsandothercolleaguescontinuedtoprovidesupportand
encouragementforwhatlaterbecausemysuccessfulattempt,fouryearslater,tobecome
presidentofthatsamenationallibraryassociation.Icouldhavethoughtaboutthatearlier
experienceanddecidednevertothinkaboutelectedofficeagain,butIhadareasonfor
wantingtoleadtheassociationandtobeinvolvedatthatlevel.WhenIconductedtherisk
assessment,usingthequestionsabove,IbelievedIhadnochoicebuttomoveforwardwith
mycandidacy.Thepotential–andinthiscase,realized–payoffwasworththerisk.
Lead
Myexperienceshaveaffordedmetheopportunitytoholdleadershippositionsinacademic
librariesaswellasinlibraryassociations.Someofthesepositionshavecomewithformal
titlesofleadership(committeechair,associateuniversitylibrarian,associationpresident).
Otherspositionswithoutthesetitleshavestillenabledmetoexhibitmyabilitytolead.
Thinkingbacktothedefinitionofleadershipasdemonstrating“behaviorthatinfluences
peopletowardsharedgoals,”wecanseepeopleatalllevelsofanyorganizationaspotential
leaders.Ireflectonmyexperienceswithmysiblingswhowantedtoemulatethelevelof
freedomIhad,ormymentorswhoencouragedwhattheybelievedtheysawinme,ormy
colleagueswhosupportedmealongmyjourneyandIrealizethatthey,too,areleaders.All
thesepeoplehavehadaprofoundimpactonmylifeinleadingmedownthepathIhave
taken.Ihavelistenedattentively,triedtolearnalot,andpracticedwhatIhavelearned,
whilealsosharingthatknowledgewithothers.ThesearesomeofthecorequalitiesIlook
forinleaders.Ifaskedthequestion“Areleadersbornormade?”Iwouldhavetoanswer,
“Both!”Myexperiencehascertainlybeenshapedbymyexperience,butwhoknows,maybe
Iwasborntolead!
Reflections–KeyLessonsforLeaders
• Bringaleaderrequiresconstantgrowthanddevelopment.Takeadvantageof
learningopportunities.
• Listento,andlearnfrom,lifeexperiencesthathaveanimpactonyourabilitytolead.
• Greatleadersencourageandsupportotherswhoareembarkingontheirown
leadershipjourney.
References
Figliuolo,Mike.OnePieceofpaper:TheSimpleApproachtoPowerful,PersonalLeadership.
SanFrancisco,CA:Jossey-Bass,2011.
George,Bill,andPeterSims.TrueNorth:DiscoverYourAuthenticLeadership.SanFrancisco,
CA:Jossey-Bass,2007.
Hernon,Peter,RonaldR.Powell,andArthurP.Young.TheNextLibraryLeadership:
AttributesofAcademicandPublicLibraryDirectors.Westport,CT:LibrariesUnlimited,2003.
Herold,IreneM.,ed.CreatingLeaders:AnExaminationofAcademicandResearchLibrary
LeadershipInstitutes.Chicago,IL:AssociationofCollegeandResearchLibraries,
forthcoming.
Pfeiffer,J.William.The1995Annual.SanDiego,CA:Pfeiffer&Co.,1995.
Rost,JosephC.LeadershipfortheTwenty-FirstCentury.Westport,CT:PraegerPublishers,
1991.