A Booster Shot of Leadership

Presenter- Maureen Sullivan

Teams:
are engaged in a common purpose
don’t shy away from conflict
are stronger than any individual member

A team is very different than a group (a collection of people who do not exhibit the aforementioned characteristics).

Libraries often use the word teams when most of the work is done by what would properly be characterized as groups.

When examining a problem, leaders should consider whether the problem is best solved by working alone vs. working in groups vs. collaboration toward pre-determined goal.

Rethink and redesign work:
Focus on what makes a difference for constituents
Let go of what they don’t want or need*
Redesign to enable greater work satisfaction

*Peter Drucker talks about planned abandonment
Ask, what do we do well?
Then ask, if it didn’t exist, would our library invent it?
This is often an easier exercise than asking What should we cut?

Clarify performance expectations and coach staff.
Reinforce and support new behaviors.
Counsel staff to let go of dated and irrelevant processes.
Promote a culture of learning, continuous improvement and mutual accountability.

Leaders should be able to reframe staff tasks (and their own), underscore value and tie tasks to the library's mission. If you can’t do that, perhaps the task is no longer relevant and is one that can be dropped.

Resonant Leadership is Emotional Intelligence in practice.
Its components are:
mindfulness
compassion
hope

Use this model, when you need to make a behavior change.
First, identify what you want to change
(I want to be a more active listener)
Second, identify what tasks or behaviors prevent you from doing that.
(I don’t let people finish sentences.)
Lastly, model the behavior and reward it in others when you see it. This will be a good reinforcement.

Concepts of learning organizations and appreciative inquiry:
strategic planning, work redesign and a focus on changes in organizational culture are key.

Frames = how we look at things.
Think about how your experiences led to your frame.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your frame?
Realize that this frame provides our first perspective when we encounter problems.
Consider frame flipping. Look at issues from above. Step up to the balcony.
If team members have other frames, you can rely on each other.

Robert Keegan’s idea of competing commitments.
How the way we talk can change the way we work.
What?
Why?
What am I afraid of?
Why is that frightening to me?

Systems processes model (ideally circular, not linear)
Work processes->Outcomes->Customers->Mission, vision, values
Staff->Impact->Customers->Mission, vision, values
Structure/Systems/Needs of people->People/Skills/Culture->Mission, vision, values

Scattered notes:

Look for opportunities to say thank you
Be specific about what you are capable of
Check out Roland Barthes
When change is necessary, communicate to staff why the change needs to happen.
Define new aspirational values.
When people in your organization make surface assumptions, challenge those which are not relevant, reaffirm actual direction or propose a new one.
Before you act, reflect.
Leadership practice is never perfect; we are always learning.
Social entrepreneurship is popular right now.
Leadership is a capacity within each person and organization.

We should be fostering an environment of trust within our organizations so that ideas emerge organically from staff who are closest to an issue or problem.

Books referenced
Primal Leadership
Resonant Leadership
Becoming a Resonant Leader
Reframing Organizations
The Leader’s Handbook
Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Wizard and Warrior
The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
Learning as a Way of Being