Leadership for Today's Libraries: An ALCTS Virtual Symposium

1. Leadership for Today's Libraries: An ALCTS Virtual Symposium Leadership: What It Means for the Library Middle Manager Mary Page University of Central Florida January 11, 2012

2. Management vs. Leadership • A manager controls, organizes, and directs. • A leader inspires. • The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. • Leadership: To make go, to guide, or to show the way. 1

3. The Role of the Middle Manager • Manages up, down, and across the organization • Translates the vision of senior leadership to the frontline workforce • Translates vision into action across the organization

4. Managing “Down” • Getting your people on board with the vision for the organization • Communicate why we do what we do

5. Managing Across • Develop strong working relationships with your peers. • Understand the work of other units. • Become the “go-to” person.

6. Managing “Up” • Build support for your unit and your ideas. • Propose solutions instead of presenting problems.

7. It’s All About the Work • Leaders are passionate about what they do. • Become the resident expert, and share your knowledge. • Run an effective, inspired department.

8. Leading Your Staff • Trust. • Mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T. • Don’t fake it. • Establish credibility. • Listen and learn.

9. Be Decisive • Take charge early. • Go for some easy wins. • Be decisive andflexible. • Don’t be a wimp!

10. Say Early and Often • What do you think? • Thank you.

11. Seek Responsibility and Take Responsibility • When things go right, it’s your wonderful staff • When things go wrong, it’s your responsibility

12. Leaders Solve Problems • Do not avoid and adapt. • Avoidance saps the energy and morale of good staff members. • Don’t be a wimp. Deal with it! • There is always a solution, however unpleasant it may be. You need to find it.

13. Management vs. Leadership • Managers, by necessity, often focus on problem staff members. • Leaders find a way to focus on their best people. 2

14. Developing the Next Generation of Library Leaders • Helping individuals in your department or unit grow is a key responsibility of a leader. 3 • Earn your success, then hold the door open for others. • Hire great people.

15. It’s All About the Work • Find something you are passionate about, then become the resident expert. • Take on projects in which your expertise will be valued. • Then put yourself out there and share.

16. Traits and Values • Authenticity. 4 • Self-knowledge. • Commitment. • Conviction.

17. Provide Opportunities • Challenge your best people with challenging assignments. • Encourage collaboration across the organization. • Give your best people leadership assignments.

18. Leaders… • Are kind and decisive. • Are consistent and flexible. • Have good judgment and good instincts.

19. Mentors • Find someone in your organization whose style you admire • Find someone outside of your organization who’s a leader in the profession

20. Bibliography • Rost, Joseph. Leadership For The Twenty-First Century. Westport: Greenwood, 2000. p. 38. • Giesecke, Joan. Practical Strategies for Library Managers. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2001, p. 26. • Giesecke, Joan. Practical Strategies for Library Managers. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2001, p. 51. • Shamir, Boas. Eiliam, Galit. “What's your story? A life-stories approach to authentic leadership development,” Leadership Quarterly, Volume 16, Issue 3, June 2005, Pages 395-417.

21. Other Reading

22. Thank You! Mary Page mary.page@ucf.edu

23. You’re a Manager Now • Delegate and empower • Provide opportunities for growth