TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY LEADERSHIP FOR LIBRARIES

1. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY LEADERSHIP FOR LIBRARIES Dr. Roger Podell rogerpodell@optonline.net Rhode Island Library Association Conference June 1, 2012 Bryant University Smithfield, RI

2. Today’s Goal • Examine Leadership Theory • Study Real Life Application of Effective Leadership • Create a Global, Usable Model • Results: • Improved Job Satisfaction • Improved Job Performance

3. How do we train effective leaders? • “Leadership is not a mysterious activity. It is possible to describe the tasks that leaders perform.” --John Gardner • Advisor to 6 Presidents • Marine officer WWII • Winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom

4. Why do we need a new model? • After years of research and “thousands of studies, we should have gained greater insight into effective leadership.” • --Leadership Researchers Angela Gordon & Gary Yukl • “Further progress will require more innovative research methods. Leadership researchers need to branch out beyond the safe and comfortable survey…to capture the truly dynamic qualities of leadership.”

5. A new approach to leadership research • Instead of testing individual theories • Examine real events to determine which theories emerge as effective in application • Historical method • Hindsight • Data

6. Part I: Leadership Theory • “The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.” —Eric Hoffer

7. Leadership Historically • Leadership studied since ancient times Egyptians • hieroglyphics for “leaders,” “leadership,” “followers” • Traits for Pharaohs: justice, perception, authoritativeness Plato & Aristotle • Virtues of leaders: virtue and education Confucius • Moral leadership, rewards and punishments Machiavelli • Ruthless, practical approach Confucius

8. Great Man Theory • 1841 Carlyle • Human achievement the result of the work of great men • Inherent traits • Natural superiority • Research examined genealogies of leaders • Remained a popular theory into the 20th century Carlyle

9. Trait Theory • Derived from Great Man Theory • Popular during 1st half of 20th Century • Identifiable physical, intellectual and personality traits made leaders superior to followers • Researched focused on identifying traits among leaders, children • Did superior children have inborn traits? Terman

10. Stodgill’s 1948 meta-analysis of Trait Theory research: Although leaders may have consistent traits The traits are not the cause of the effective leadership Traits are not useful predictors of effective leadership Certain traits are only valuable in specific situations Led to emphasis on situation Trait Theory enjoyed a revival in the late 20th century “Prior to this work, emphasis had been placed on the search for universal traits of leadership. After it, situation-specific analyses took --Bernard Bass “Ralph Stogdill at Ohio Statehelped weaken the status of ‘trait’But then we grew wearyof State sponsored theorywhich suffered a similar fate” Disputing Trait Theory

11. Situational Leadership Theory • Effective leadership, even for great men, dependent on situation & skills (James, 1880) • After Stodgill’s meta-analysis of Trait Theory, wave of research during 1950s, 1960s • Situational variable a key influence on leader’s actions (Tannenbaum & Schmitt, 1951) William James

12. Situational Leadership Theory • Hersey and Blanchard, 1972 • Model of leadership behavior designed to match support level and developmental level of followers: • Telling/Directing • Selling/Coaching • Participating/Supporting • Delegating/Observing Hersey Blanchard

13. Hersey and Blanchard’s Model

14. Behavioral Theory’s 4 Styles • Exploitative Authoritative (fear based, low regard for people) • Benevolent Authoritative (reward system, higher regard) • Consultative (follower input and feedback encouraged, not decision-making power) • Participative (collaborative planning and decision making) Likert

15. Theory X • Why low job satisfaction in employees with good jobs? • Employers believe they need to control workers through rewards, punishments, or coercion • Believed Theory X ineffective because it failed to account for Maslow’s “higher needs” McGregor

16. Theory Y • McGregor suggested Theory Y • Rooted in Maslow’s concepts • Workers presumed to be capable of self direction, desirous of work and responsibility • Theory Y techniques include participative management & delegation of authority • Allows for innovation & creativity • Pride in workmanship Maslow

17. Fiedler An awareness that effective leadership includes: Leadership skills Leadership styles Leadership behaviors Applied correctly in situation An understanding of task An understanding of nature of followers Fielder’s Contingency Theory

18. House Well articulated goal Clear path Make it easier for employees to do a good job Eliminate frustrations that lower morale Four styles for leaders to apply Path-Goal Theory: Directive Supportive Participative Achievement Oriented Path-Goal Theory

19. Servant Theory Servant Leadership’s ten principles: • Listening • Empathy • Healing • Awareness • Persuasion • Conceptualization • Foresight • Stewardship • Commitment to the growth of people • Building community Greenleaf

20. Transactional and Transformational Theory • Based on historical research of FDR • Pre-war: Transactional • Reward is contingent on the successful performance of the followers’ task • Transactional leadership theory is based on the psychological concepts of classical conditioning and behaviorism • Wartime: Transformational • Widespread support • Allowed for engineering of social programs broader than those of the New Deal • Fundamental societal changes

21. Transformational Leaders • Create a vision • Foster support • Generate trust, respect, and commitment • Focus on long term goals • Inspire followers to look beyond self interest and share the motivation and organizational goals of the leader

22. In Extremis Theory • Based on interviews with leaders and followers in life and death situations • Kolditz identified certain traits among successful leaders in dangerous settings, including the willingness to share risk, which engendered respect and enhanced credibility Kolditz

23. Deming’s Thoughts on Leadership • Goal of leadership: • To improve employee performance, quality, production, and “bring pride of workmanship to people • Not merely to find and record failures of men, but to remove the causes of failure: to help people do a better job with less effort Deming

24. Part II: Historical Study • Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (1897-1922) provides a window to observe leadership • Isolation of crew and leaders • Time factor • Brutally harsh conditions • Life and death situations • Photos & documentation • The benefit of hindsight • Success of the mission vs. survival of the crew The Endurance

25. Application of Theory • Antarctic expeditions provide a testing ground for the practical application of leadership theory • Leadership theories are not broad enough to account for the complex elements that impact effective leadership • An examination of leadership during the Antarctic expeditions will serve as a controlled test of leadership theory in reality Launching of the James Caird Shackleton

26. Historical Overview of Antarctica Prior to 1897 • Supercontinent broke apart • Antarctica drifted to the south • Cooled and became covered in snow & ice • 6th century B.C. Pythagoras determined Earth was round • 320 B.C. Pytheas sailed to the Arctic Circle • Greeks theorized the existence of counterbalancing southern land “Ant-arktos” • Romans called it “Terra Incognita” Pytheas Map of Antarctica, @ 1520

27. Geography of Antarctica • 9 million square miles, larger than Australia or Europe • Expansive sheets of ice, including Ross Ice Shelf which is larger than France • Glaciers continually flow from Polar plateau through the Transantarctic Mountains constantly adding ice to the Shelf • Volcanoes, including Mt. Erebus (active) Glaciers Mt. Erebus

28. Climate of Antarctica • 98% covered in ice & snow • Highest average elevation of any continent • Receives only diffused rays from the sun due to angle of Earth’s axis • Heat reflected, lost • Lowest temperatures on Earth • Minus 77 degrees F. • Blizzards common • Winds up to 200 mph

29. Historical Overview of Antarctica • Europeans believed in Terra Incognita and drew it on maps • 1520 Magellan • 1773 James Cook • 1820 T. Bellingshausen • 1820-1895 Various international expeditions • Naval • Scientific • Hunters Magellan Bellingshausen

30. Birth of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration 1897-1922 Several factors combined to generate an surge of interest in Antarctic exploration: • Push from British societies • Excitement over century • National glory of reaching South Pole • Personal rivalries of explorers • Scientific investigation • Military potential • Possible natural resources • Whale and seal hunting Markham

31. Focus: Shackleton and Scott • Lives and legacies intertwined • Notable differences: • Background • Personalities • Leadership styles • Mission outcome • Survival of crew Shackleton and Scott

32. Sir Robert Falcon Scott • Career Naval officer • Becomes Antarctic explorer for monetary and career reasons • Led two expeditions: Discovery (1901-1904) • 400 miles from South Pole Terra Nova (1910-1912) • Reached South Pole with his team Scott

33. Sir Ernest Shackleton • Merchant marine background • Requests to join Scott’s Discovery Expedition • Commanded • Nimrod (1907-1909) • Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) • Quest (1921-1922) Trans-Antarctic Expedition • Failed to achieve goal of traversing Antarctica • Succeeded in bringing entire crew home safely • Legend as ultimate successful leader Shackleton

34. Expeditions Scott: Discovery (1901-1904) Terra Nova (1910-1913) Shackleton: Nimrod (1907-1909) Endurance (1914-1917) Quest (1921-1922)

35. Scott’s Leadership • Early experiences • Path to role of commander • Discovery (1901-1904) • Furthest South Record • Terra Nova (1910-1913) • Race with Amundsen • Reaching South Pole • Return journey

36. Shackleton’s Leadership • Early experiences • Discovery with Scott (1901-1903) • Learning the Antarctic • Nimrod: (1907-1909) • 90 Miles from Pole • Endurance (1914-1917) • Ocean Camp • Patience Camp • Elephant Island • Voyage of the Caird • Crossing South Georgia • Rescue

37. Part III: Synthesizing Theory with Application • Effective Leadership: An Amalgam of Existing Leadership Theories • Path-Goal Structure • Transformational Leadership • Servant Leadership • In Extremis Leadership

38. Shackleton’s Leadership and Path Goal Theory • Articulating a clear goal and path • Meeting follower needs • Reaching safety by dragging boats • Removal of obstacles/altered plans • Supportive Behaviors • Personally worked with men with low morale • Rotated tent assignments on pretext • Directive Behaviors • Meal and work schedules • Sharing of work: scientists and sailors • Unified diverse crew • Psychological Structure (House & Mitchell, 1974)

39. Shackleton’s Leadership and Path Goal Theory • Participative Behaviors • Worked closely with Wild and Worsley • Listened to suggestions from crew • Achievement Behaviors • Wild in command on Elephant Island • Worsley navigating James Caird

40. Shackleton: Supplementing Path Goal by Transforming Follower Motivation • Transformational Theory • Inspiring Trust • Leading rescue party during Nimrod expedition • Planting flag • Servant Theory • Selflessness • Giving food to Wild • Giving his gear to others • In Extremis Theory • Egalitarianism • Shared work, risk & living conditions

41. Scott’s Leadership and Path Goal Theory • Articulating Goal and Path • Plan to reach South Pole using manhauling, ponies, dogs, motorized sledges • Ignored race • Revisions as necessary • Improvements • Supportive Behaviors • Provided positive work environment • Made sure scientists had best possible equipment

42. Scott’s Leadership and Path Goal Theory • Directive Behaviors • Coordinated teams • 5 vs. 4 • Designated tasks • Psychological Structure • Achievement Behaviors • Delegated authority: • Bowers—planning • Wilson—science • Atkinson—command • Participative Behaviors • Sought crew’s opinion regarding race with Amundsen

43. Scott: Supplementing Path Goal by Transforming Follower Motivation • Transformational Theory • Inspiring Trust • Sympathy and praise • Oates, Evans • Servant Theory • Selflessness • Helping Shackleton • In Extremis Theory • Shared work, shared risk • Rescued dogs • Powerful sledger • Led by example

44. Part IV: A Model for Twenty-first Century Leadership • Provide a Goal and a Path to Get There • Articulate a clear goal • Create a path to the goal • Clear the path of any obstacles • Think ahead about possible problems that may arise • Make changes as necessary to keep the path clear

45. Inspiring People • Your Goal as Leader: Inspire People to Want to Follow the Path and Attain the Goal: • Build trust and loyalty • Transform individuals and the organization • Create a cohesive group from diverse elements

46. How to Inspire People • Make people your priority and demonstrate this through actions • Focus intensely on supporting them, especially those who are struggling • Be selfless, humble, altruistic, and empathetic • Share work and share risk

47. High Expectations • Set high expectations • High expectations yield higher results • Show confidence • Encourage excellence • Teach, direct, and guide • Believe in the potential of people

48. Keep Morale High • Use an understanding of human psychology to guide your actions • Constantly spread optimism to individuals and the organization