Pursuing excellence for library service to children
For the past three years, I served as the new-to-ALSC Board Member. It was perhaps the most humbling, amazing, and unexpected experience of my professional career. Looking ahead to the transition of new Board members at ALA in Philadelphia, I’m incredibly grateful. Today, I’m sharing a few lessons from my Board tenure.
Definitions of leader and leadership are endless, but no specific person or job title makes you a leader. Rather, leadership is a conscious, daily decision. Before you can lead anyone else, you must first lead yourself. Then, it’s all about owning and customizing the journey. Here are some go-to tips (and my examples) for incorporating elements of leadership wherever you are. Own Your Journey We all have gaps, blind spots, and opportunities to improve. First, admit both the good and bad. Next, own your development. Actively seek growth opportunities. If you make a mistake, admit it. Then, commit to doing better. Further, focus on choosing evolving, long-term goals that allow you to adapt. Your focus will likely change as you grow, and that’s okay. Look for ways to build regular learning into your schedule. Finally, remember small steps add up to much progress. Make Space A few years ago, I…
While the librarian stereotype is that we spend our days reading, we all know the truth as to how busy our workdays truly are. It usually takes intention to carve out time to develop and improve our skills. A couple of books and resources that I have loved over my career include: How to Lead When You’re Not In Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority by Clay Scroggins What I love about this title is that it is written for anyone interested in leadership. Every good organization needs leaders as they are your coworkers who inspire and motivate, but leaders aren’t always managers and many don’t have titles. Scroggins highlights various leadership lessons, such as building a support network and being a problem solver. The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhou Julie was the V.P. of Design at Facebook and…
This year’s ALSC’s president’s program was all about wholehearted leadership. The session, entitled Leading with Your Hands and Your Heart: A Conversation about Leading from Wherever You Are, was AMAZING. The panelist discussion featured Dr. Ling Hwey Jeng, Ellen Oh, and Linda Sue Park, with conversation expertly guided by Amy Koester. Dr. Ling Hwey Jeng Dr. Jeng spoke about the power of leadership even in invisibility. While many of us feel invisible, often these are the moments where we have the greatest potential to impact change. Some key thoughts: Ellen Oh Ellen Oh spoke about the power of problem solving as a path to leadership. Looking for ways to find solutions often leads us in new directions. Some key thoughts: Linda Sue Park Linda Sue Park spoke about the power of leadership from the role of an everyday worker. We don’t have to be queen bees in order to enact…
Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a post for the ALSC blog titled, ‘Leading Toward a Shared Vision and Common Purpose.’ I cited Richard Harwood’s book, Stepping Forward: A Positive Path to Transform Our Communities and Our Lives, for finding hope through common purpose and collective action. This call to step forward and find authentic hope is even more relevant in today’s pandemic-changed world. COVID-19 has been an extreme test of leadership across the country, causing even the strongest and most seasoned leaders to begin dreaming of early retirement. The library world is no exception. How can we be the kind of leader our teams need during so much uncertainty and change? What leadership skills and traits are most beneficial in these trying times? As a new library director (7 months in!), I’ve consulted many resources for ‘crisis leadership’ advice. Providing strong leadership for our teams is especially important…
Taped to the metal cabinet in my work cubicle is a list of tips to “Get Unstuck in 2018” that I printed from author and leadership expert Robin Sharma’s website two years ago. The reminders provide guideposts to help me lead by my best example. I’m struck by the similarities between Sharma’s advice for leaders and the pearls of wisdom for early childhood educators collected from Mr. Rogers of children’s television fame, further strengthening my belief that children’s librarians make the best leaders. Below are my favorite mashups from both experts, Robin Sharma (RS) and Fred Rogers (FR). I hope you find them as helpful as I have in rediscovering my center and redefining my values for guiding a team in the new year: Tip #1: RS: “Ordinary people talk about goals. Leaders get them done. With elegance, brilliance, and finesse.” (1) FR: “There’s a world of difference between insisting…
Supervising a creative, project-driven team, I often tread a fine line between wanting to be a supportive ‘yes person’ and making strategic choices for how we allocate staffing and resources. It’s not always easy, for as David Maister says, “Strategy means saying no” (davidmaister.com). Three books are helpful when balancing intentional decision-making with motivating a team: Harwood, Richard. Stepping Forward: A Positive, Practical Path to Transform Our Communities and Our Lives. Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2019. This new book by the founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation introduces seven principles of stepping forward to help communities find common ground, rebuild trust, expand circles of action, and develop a culture of ‘civic confidence’ for positive change. Harwood talks about the importance of stopping to listen, of having the courage and humility necessary to show up, to make those tough and intentional choices, and to remain open to…
Looking over the ALSC Blog archives, I was inspired by 2017’s Summer Reading for Managers list, which included a number of stellar titles (go read them already!) As part of my own professional summer reading and podcast listening, I’ve been focusing on the topics of time management and habit change, both of which help prevent burn-out by allowing us to play the long game. Currently, I’ve been inhaling Laura Vanderkam’s work, re-reading 168 Hours, I Know How She Does It and Off the Clock. I appreciate that Vanderkam starts from an abundance mindset, instead of one of scarcity. All of us have the same 168 hours in a week, which over the course of a month provides plenty of time both for obligations and the hobbies or causes that we are passionate about. Vanderkam is a big proponent of time tracking to pinpoint when we are spending our time on…