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The Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute: Growth and Visioning in the Rockies

The Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute: Growth and Visioning in the Rockies . Nalini Singh, NELI 8 Graduate (October 2005) Julie Hannaford, NELI 9 Graduate (March, 2007). What is NEL?. Leadership training institute for Canadian librarians

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The Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute: Growth and Visioning in the Rockies

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  1. The Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute: Growth and Visioning in the Rockies Nalini Singh, NELI 8 Graduate (October 2005) Julie Hannaford, NELI 9 Graduate (March, 2007)

  2. What is NEL? • Leadership training institute for Canadian librarians • Associated with U. of Alberta – Ernie Ingles • Held every 18 months • Mission: develop individuals’ skills & abilities in service of Canadian librarianship.

  3. Why NEL? • Like other professions, the library world needs staff with leadership skills • 8 Rs Canadian Library Human Resource Survey • Librarian population changing • New information environment: Web2.0 • Evolving user expectations

  4. Getting there • Nomination by employer, lib. school, or lib. association • A competition, with ~26 selected every session • 2-7 years out of library school • Leadership potential, academics, work history • Variety of backgrounds: public, academic, special

  5. What NEL graduates say • transformative • inspiring • profound • a gift • clarifying • liberating • will be a highlight of my career

  6. Ingredients: the venue • Residential setting in a stunning location • 6 days at a historic luxury Rocky Mountain lodge • Indoor & outdoor activities • Hot tub & hiking, cabins with fireplaces • Secluded (only 1 TV, 1 Internet terminal – wireless available in the main lodge) • http://www.flickr.com/photos/etches-johnson/sets/1102012/ • http://www.flickr.com/ - input ‘NEL9’ as a search term

  7. Ingredients: The People • 26 librarians from across Canada • One executive director and four facilitators • 8 mentors – recognized leaders in our field • Three vendors/sponsors • People with a passion for librarianship who want to share their experiences – generous and down to earth people with a commitment to seeing our profession grow

  8. Ingredients: The Program • Learning activities focused on leadership in relation to: • Self • Others • Our organizations • Profession as a whole • Theoretical and experiential • The mantra: “Participate, don’t anticipate” • Intense & immersive – sometimes emotional

  9. Ingredients: The Content • Communication skills: active listening/giving feedback • Leadership: understanding it and yourself • Advocacy • Ethics • Strategic planning (environmental scan): creating your preferred future • Risk-taking/overcoming personal barriers

  10. What made it so memorable? • “Full engagement with questions of meaning, passion, value and vision” – (Bergart, 2004). • You come away with a “sense of wanting to do so much more” – (Phelan, 2005) • Animated, professional discussions with mentors and colleagues alike; • Development of new friendships and networks – Facebook • An abundance of learning in formal & informal settings • It’s a “powerful life experience” (Hook & Palmer, 2002) – deeply personal and rewarding

  11. What is leadership? • Creating opportunities and seeing the possibilities; “turning towards challenges, instead of away” (Pam Ryan, 2007) • Putting together your desire for the best possible outcome, with the planning, people power, and inspiration to bring it about, and the changes you make in yourself along the way. • Leadership qualities can come from anyone, anywhere, inside or outside an organization • It doesn’t have to be vertically driven • Sharing your passion and vision with others; finding your voice

  12. Some Personal Reflections - Julie • Wonderful to have the opportunity to explore and discuss so many important concepts and be able to give them my undivided attention • Feel a greater sense of self-confidence: the library world is changing and I’m part of that transformation • Re-energized and positive; reframing of self-perceptions • Our Vision 2017: It Begins Now: “We are innovators, collaborators and partners infused in the information landscape”

  13. Some personal reflections - Nalini • Leadership comes in different flavours • Never underestimate the value of kindred spirits • Welcome feedback of all kinds • Share your vision • Cultivate connection • Conflict avoidance serves no-one • service, not self-interest

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