Wisconsin Library Association WeLead Preconference

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Wisconsin Library AssociationWeLead Preconference

• October 24, 2005La Crosse Wisconsin

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• Deciding not to
• Play Small
• Librarian Leaders

Melinda Guffey Orebaugh, MLS Director, Corporate
Knowledge
Gundersen Lutheran Health System
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Orebaugh Family Shorthorns doesnt play small!
Supreme Champion Steer 2004 La Crosse Interstate
Fair
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Presentation Objectives

• Provide a brief overview of leadership
• Discuss characteristics of leaders
• Talk about teamwork
• Identify personal profile attributes of librarian
  leaders
  
• Outline required leadership skills for
  librarians
  
• Compare SLA competencies

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La Crosse TribuneSunday, October 25,
2005Section J, Page 1Horoscope Taurus (April
20-May 20)

• Still afraid of creating a spectacle, you are
  tempted to remain quiet. However, going forward
  halfway or half-heartedly will only make you feel
  small.

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Playing Small Doesnt Serve the World

•  Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
  measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that
  most frightens us. We as ourselves, who am I to
  be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

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Playing Small Doesnt Serve the World

•  Actually, who are you not to be? You are a
  child of God. Your playing small doesnt serve
  the world. There is nothing enlightened about
  shrinking so that other people wont feel
  insecure around you. We are born to make
  manifest the glory of God that is within us. It
  is not just in some of us it is in everyone.

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Playing Small Doesnt Serve the World

•  And as we let our own light shine, we
  unconsciously give other people permission to do
  the same. As we are liberated from our fears,
  our presence automatically liberates others.

Quoted by Nelson Mandela, from his 1994 Inaugural
Speech (Written by Marianne Williamson in her boo
k A Return to Love)
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One Definition of Leadership

• The ability to influence, motivate, and direct
  others in order to attain desired objectives.
  

Hellriegel Slocum, 1992
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Leaders can be developed. Modern leadership
training is firmly based on the belief that
individuals can be educated, trained, and
developed to be leaders.
Assumption about Leadership

•  Florence M. Mason
• Learning to Lead, Library Trends, Summer 2004

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People Become Real Leaders Because of

• Character Who they are
• Relationships Who they know
• Knowledge What they know
• Intuition What they feel
• Experience Where theyve been
• Past success What theyve done
• Ability What they can do

John Maxwell
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Why be a librarian leader?

• Salaries are tied to job descriptions
• Unique talents and qualifications of librarians
• Personal growth
• To be the change you wish to see in the world
• Librarians are aging and retiring!

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How do I become a leader?

• Know thyself
• Myers-Briggs
• Enenagram
• Read, study, observe
• Find a leadership mentor
• Feedback
• Leadership is a lifetime journey
• Listen and learn

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(No Transcript)
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Five Myths about Leadership

• The Management Myth
• The Entrepreneur Myth
• The Knowledge Myth
• The Pioneer Myth
• The Position Myth

John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,
1998
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Characteristics of Admired Leaders

• Honest
• Forward-looking
• Competent
• Inspiring
• Intelligent
• Fair-minded
• Broad-minded
• Supportive
• Straightforward
• Dependable

• Cooperative
• Determined
• Imaginative
• Ambitious
• Courageous
• Caring
• Mature
• Loyal
• Self-controlled
• Independent

From The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes
Posner, 2002
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Types of Leadership

•  James MacGregor Burns defines leadership as
  transformational (a focus on change) and
  transactional (a focus on process and people).
  
• Transformational leaders lead by motivating
  others and by appealing to higher ideals and
  moral values. These leaders can inspire others
  to think about problems in a new way. Key
  transformational skills for leaders are long-term
  vision, empowerment, and coaching.

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Types of Leadership

• Transactional leadership focuses on the
  initiating structurethe relationship between the
  leader and his or her followers. Leaders
  understand how to motivate followers by inspiring
  vision of what is to be accomplished.
  Transactional skills involve the ability to
  obtain results, solve problems, plan, and
  organize. Leaders must also be effective
  communicators.

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Positional Leaders

• Speak first
• Need the influence of the real leader to get
  things done
  
• Influence only the other positional leaders

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Real Leaders

• Speak later
• Need only their own influence to get things
  done
  
• Influence everyone in the room

John Maxwell
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Grassroots Leadership

• Lead by example
• Listen aggressively
• Communicate purpose and meaning
• Create a climate of trust
• Look for results, not salutes
• Generate unity

• Take calculated risks
• Go beyond SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
• Strengthen others / build up your people
• Cultivate quality of life

Captain D. Michael Abrashoff U.S. Navy, Retired
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Leadership versus Management
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Leadership

• A leader does the right things
• Leadership is about effectiveness
• Leading is about what and why
• Leadership is about trust and about people
• Leadership is about innovating and initiating
• Leadership looks at the horizon, not just the
  bottom line

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Management

• A good manager does things right
• Management is largely about efficiency
• Management is about how to do things
• Management is about systems, controls,
  procedures, policies, and structure
  
• Management is about copying, about managing the
  status quo
  
• Management is about the bottom line

From Learning to lead by W. Bennis J.
Goldsmith, 1994
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Leaders are More Than Managers

• Management is about what things get done, while
  leadership is about how things get done
  
• Management involves accomplishing tasks, while
  leadership involves influencing and guiding a
  course of action
  
•  Management is usually understood as a skill set
  that includes planning, organizing, directing,
  and managing workers and work activities

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Leaders are More Than Managers

•  Leadership includes the ability to create a
  vision of the future, engage others in the
  co-creation and/or perfection of that vision,
  describe it in a compelling and powerful manner,
  and create an environment where stakeholders
  inside and outside the organization work together
  productively and effectively to implement the
  vision successfully. 

From Learning to Lead by Florence M. Mason,
Library Trends, Summer 2004
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While leaders are not necessarily managers, the
best managers are leaders, when it comes to their
own department, division or library. Like
anything else, effective leadership is a learned
set of skills.
According to Rachel Singer Gordon

•  From The Accidental Library Manager, 2005

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Good Leaders

• Do not limit an organization
• Have greater influence than others
• Value the process of developing people
• Prepare the team for the journey
• Communicate more effectively
• Create momentum and lift the team to a higher
  level
  
• Stand on a foundation of trust
• Command greater respect
• Work on leadership issues earlier

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Good Leaders

• Draw more leaders to themselves
• Connect with people better
• Bring stronger key people around them
• Reproduce more leaders
• Empower team members
• Win with teams
• Sell themselves and their vision to a greater
  degree
  
• Establish priorities more effectively

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Good Leaders

• Understand and use timing more effectively
• Give up personal agendas
• Grow leaders and organizations faster
• Leave a legacy that lasts longer
• Good leaders do things just a little bit better
  than others do. The result is usually victory.

From John Maxwell 17 Indisputable Laws of
Teamwork, 2001
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The difference between two equally talented
teams is leadership!
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The peoples capacity to achieve is determined by
their leaders ability to empower. The
greatest things happen only when you give others
the credit.
John Maxwell
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Four fundamental factors of successful teamwork

• Develop a sense of purpose a clear, strong and
  common goal
  
• Communicate your goal
• Utilize the individual and diverse talents of
  everyone in your organization
  
• Empower other to make their own decisions

Lou Holtz
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How to Invest In Your Team

• Make the decision to build a teamthis starts the
  investment in the team
  
• Gather the best team possiblethis elevates the
  potential of the team
  
• Pay the price to develop the teamthis ensures
  the growth of the team
  
• Do things together as a teamthis provides
  community for the team
  
• Empower team members with responsibility and
  authoritythis raises up leaders for the team

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How to Invest In Your Team

• Give credit for success to the teamthis lifts
  the morale of the team
  
• Watch to see that the investment in the team is
  paying offthis brings accountability to the
  team
  
• Stop your investment in players who do not
  growthis eliminates greater losses for the team
  
• Create new opportunities for the teamthis allows
  the team to stretch
  
• Give the team the best possible chance to
  succeedthis guarantees the team a high return

From John Maxwell 17 Indisputable Laws of
Teamwork, 2001
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 Ive always been a sucker for attention! Cuba
Gooding, Jr.I can live for two months on one
good compliment. Mark TwainOutstanding
leaders go out of their way to boost the
self-esteem of their personnel. If people
believe in themselves its amazing what they can
accomplish. Sam WaltonThere are two things
people want more than sex and moneyrecognition
and praise! Mary Kay Ash
Workplace recognition fosters job satisfaction,
builds self-esteem, and reinforces desired
performance.
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He who thinks he leads, but has not followers,
is only taking a walk.

• If you cant influence others, they wont follow
  you. And if they wont follow, youre not a
  leader.
  
• No matter what anybody else tells you, remember
  that leadership is influencenothing more,
  nothing less.

John Maxwell 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,
1998
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To build trust, a leader must exemplify
competence, connection, and character. How do
leaders earn respect? By making sound
decisions, admitting their mistakes, and putting
whats best for their followers and the
organization ahead of their personal agendas.
John Maxwell
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Being in power is like being a lady. If you
have to tell people you are, you arent.

• --Margaret Thatcher

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As per Melinda

• In order to shift your existing librarian
  leadership paradigm.
  
• the following personal profile attributes are
  desirable, if not required!

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Librarian Leader Profile Attributes

• Outlook or mindset is broad based
• Visible and successful record of achievement
• Credible
• Trustworthy
• Solid reputation within organization
• Proactive approach

• Goal oriented Results driven
• High level of enthusiasm for what you are trying
  to achieve
  
• Extremely motivated to improve corporate
  performance

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Librarian Leader Profile Attributes

• Even-tempered, optimistic, moderate, and more
  able to deal with stress and sensitive situations
  than average
  
• Not likely to dwell on problems in a detrimental
  way
  

• Modest, yet able to promote their own interests
• Active listener
• Have a mission (but be balanced)
• Sociable and energetic
• Tolerant and pragmatic

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Librarian Leader Profile Attributes

• Thinks independently
• Honest considerate of others
• Self-aware
• Sympathetic but firm
• Enjoys abstract or imaginative thinking

• Innovative
• Open to new things or different approaches
• Not naïve nor driven by self-glorification
• Career experience and familiarity with the
  organization

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Librarian Leader Profile Attributes

• Integrity
• Exercises time management
• Agile Adaptable Flexible
• Curious
• Risk taker
• Assertive
• Chooses battles wisely

• Uses humor appropriately
• Persistent
• Practices perseverance
• Teacher
• Creative
• Forthright
• Politically savvy

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As per Melinda

• In order to shift your existing librarian
  leadership paradigm
  
• the following skills and abilities are a must
  for, if not paramount to, success!

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Librarian Leader Skills/Abilities

• Understands the business (and I do not mean the
  library business)
  
• Ability to lead at the influence level
• Systems thinker
• Encourages innovation
• Possesses strategic vision
• Change agent, Change manager
• Catalyst
• Experienced in people management

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Librarian Leader Skills/Abilities

• Experienced in project management
• Takes time to think, reflect, revitalize
• Negotiates, Facilitates, Communicates
• Champion of lifelong learning
• Creates cross-organizational communities of
  practice
  
• Nurtures and grows teams
• Understands and embraces technology

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Librarian Leader Skills/Abilities

• Experienced in finance budget development
  employs metrics
  
• Champions organizational change
• Exercises a disciplined approach to
  decision-making
  
• Encourages creativity
• Experienced in performance improvement
• Understands the balanced scorecard

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Librarian Leader Skills/Abilities

• Creates shares best practices
• Benchmarks
• Articulates the value of the business (and I do
  mean the library business) to the organization,
  stockholders, community
  
• Entrepreneur
• Partners, Collaborates, Connects

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Be promiscuous!

• Partner promiscuously to serve the interests of
  the entire organization.
  
• Eugenie Prime
• Manager, HP Corporate Libraries

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Thoughts to partner promiscuously by

• Dont confuse style with content
• Couch arguments to fit the circumstances
• Be coherent
• Have the strength of your beliefs
• Build bridges and create links
• Be ready to take risks
• Make technology your servant, not your master

• Be comfortable outside the box
• Build on what you know
• Never say it cant be done
• Constantly reinvent yourself
• Make change work for you
• Believe in basic things
• Never underestimate the human element

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Managing Yourself

• Habits and patterns to overcome as suggested by
  Rachel Singer Gordon
  
• Procrastination
• Impatience
• Defensiveness
• Miscommunication
• And Melinda adds one more
• NO WHINING!!

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Politics, Power Influence

• Learn to say yes if at all possible
• Never reveal your deepest insecurities
• Network once a week with someone outside your
  organization
  
• Keep your resume updated at all times
• Have business cards with you at all times
• Learn one new job skill every year

Margaret Murford, President The HR Edge, Inc.
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Politics, Power Influence

• Listen to the grapevine but dont respond
• Listen more than you speak
• Go out of your way to help people when they are
  in trouble
  
• Dont be threatened by experts, select and use
  them wisely
  
• Understand the alliances and animosities that
  exist within your organization

Margaret Murford, President The HR Edge, Inc.
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Politics, Power Influence

• Align yourself with as many people as possible in
  the organization
  
• Watch the way decisions are made and understand
  where the power resides
  
• Maintain an on-going dialogue with various other
  departments
  
• Write an annual accomplishments list and publish
  it to those higher up

Margaret Murford, President The HR Edge, Inc
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Politics, Power Influence

• Your assignment if you choose to accept it
• Read the Power and Influence handout
• Make a list of 5 people that hold power
  influence in your organization
  
• Figure out how you can work with one of these
  five in the next year

Margaret Murford, President The HR Edge, Inc
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Special Library AssociationCompetencies for
Information Professionals of the 21st Century
(Revised Ed., June 2003)

• Professional Competencies relate to the
  practitioners knowledge of information
  resources, access, technology and management, and
  the ability to use this knowledge as a basis for
  providing the highest quality information
  services.
• Personal Competencies represent a set of
  attitudes, skills, and values that enable
  practitioners to work effectively and contribute
  positively to the organization, clients and
  profession.
• Core Competencies anchor the professional and
  personal competencies.

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Every Information Professional

• Seeks out challenges and capitalizes on new
  opportunities
  
• Sees the big picture
• Communicates effectively
• Presents ideas clearly negotiates confidently
  and persuasively
  
• Creates partnerships and alliances
• Builds an environment of mutual respect and
  trust respects and values diversity

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Every Information Professional

• Employs a team approach recognizes the balance
  of collaborating, leading and following
  
• Takes calculated risks shows courage and
  tenacity when faced with opposition
  
• Plans, prioritizes and focuses on what is
  critical
  
• Demonstrates personal career planning
• Thinks creatively and innovatively seeks new or
  reinventing opportunities

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Every Information Professional

• Recognizes the value of professional networking
  and personal career planning
  
• Balances work, family and community obligations
• Remains flexible and positive in a time of
  continuing change
  
• Celebrates achievements for self and others

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• Leaders are readers of their situation.
• Leaders are readers of trends.
• Leaders are readers of their resources.
• Leaders are readers of people.
• Leaders are readers of themselves.

John Maxwell
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While walking across the hills above his village
some years back, Nelson Mandela recalled a lesson
from his youth When you want to get a herd to
move in a certain direction, he said, you stand
at the backA few of the more energetic cattle
move to the front and the rest of the cattle
follow. You are really guiding them from
behind. With a smile he added, This is how a
leader should do his work.
Guide Them From Behind
From The Making of a Leader by Richard Stengel
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Leadership Are you Playing Small?

• Its your choice. Make a decision.
• Being a leader is a decision, not a position.
•  
• Its your choice. Make it personal.
• What do you want to achieve? What do you want to
  have? Who do you want to become?
  
•  
• Its your choice. Take action.
• The secret to success as a leader is to take
  action, starting with the decision to PLAY BIG!

John Maxwell