Michigan Library Association

1
Michigan Library Association Leading in CRAZY
Times
November 5, 2009Daniel G. Mulhern
2
To Help You Lead With Your Best Self
Danmulhern.com
3
I see you Going out the door with real life
results

• Home
• Team
• Big deal

• 1. home
• 2. Key stakeholders
• Big deal

4
My 2 top leadership issues are

• 1.
• 2.

5
Going out that doorleading in CRAZY times

• In Michigan
• the collapse of 2/3 of the big 3
• a decade-long recession
• foreclosures
• 7 years 13 rounds of state budget cuts
• 40 percent budget cut to Michigan libraries
• The broader world
• 4 gas
• Lehman vaporizes
• Newspapers disappear
• Challenged by China-India
• Information R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-S

6
Leadership Lessons for Crazy Times

• Watch! The earth can give way
• Embrace challenge
• Distribute energy generation
• Work the vision constantly

7
1. The Earth Can Collapse Beneath You

• A veterinarian cannot turn a horse into a
  tractor!
• A RR has no use for an automobile
• Expertise in mainframes means zilch in a PC world
• An unskilled worker cant make 30/hour
• In a GoogleyKindley World
• The earth is HOT, FLAT AND CHANGING!
• Paraphrasing Thomas Friedman

8
What are the assets, drivers, bywords of success
in this era?

• Adaptability
• Risk takers
• Vision
• Imagination
• Innovation
• Optimism
• connectivity

9
2. Embrace Challenge

• Name any great leader, performer, scientist,
  athlete, activist, citizen. Chances are that the
  crucible of that persons crowning achievement
  was some distressing crisis, wrenching change,
  tragic misfortune, or risky venture. Only
  challenge produces the opportunity for
  greatness.
• Kouzes Posner

10
Be the Energy SourceYoure in the Library
business
Energy!
Lead ! ! !
11
Every Day Everyday Leaders Ask
Who am I being that the eyes of the orchestra
members arent lighting up? Benjamin Zander,
conductor and author
12
3. Distribute energy generation
13
Every interaction causes a change in energy
14
You CAN Measure Energy
De-energizing
Energizing
Source Baker 2006, Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
15
Surefire ways to generate energy in 120 seconds

• Humor
• Gratitude
• Being postiive
• Smile
• Food
• Music
• Recognition
• praise

• Laughter
• Tell a good story
• Listen compasionatley
• Enthusiasm
• Be prepared
• Encourage
• Get new ideas
• Play

16
Ideas for Generating Energy
17
Distributed Generation as a Strategy

• Externally, e.g.,
• customers
• community
• vendors
• Internally
• employees
• board
• kids

18
P G does R D
P G does C D

• Tremendous R D 7,500 people
• Top-line growth slowed
• Stock price dropped 50
• A.G. Lafley created a revolution
• 7,500 x 200 1.5 million
• Blew the culture open
• Half now from outside

19
Who models putting external energy on their grid?

• Wikipedia
• Amazon
• Airlines

20
Driving Generation

• How many are on
• How many are on
• How many are on
• How many are on
• Something else?

21
Leading Across 100 Years
1909
1969
2009
1939
Living in a state of permanent attention deficit
disorder!
22
4. Vision as a way to distribute LS
Why, a matchbook?
23
Especially in times of changenever stop sharing
the vision

• Overcommunicate the vision by a factor of 10.
• John Kotter, On Change
• Pssst, Introverts think a factor of 20!

24
My vision You walking out the door with real
life results

• Home
• Team
• Big deal

• 1. home
• 2. Key stakeholders
• Big deal

25
Going out that doorleading in CRAZY times

• Never doubt that a small group of committed
  citizens can change the world.Indeed, it is the
  only thing that ever has.
• Margaret Meade