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The five priorities of my management style are: valuing collaboration, giving support, providing encouragement and taking action.

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I love libraries and I love being a librarian!

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I love libraries and I love being a librarian!

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I'm the Manager of Information Resources and Connections at the Niagara Falls Public Library. In essence, my department is responsible for buying and preparing all of the "stuff" in the library - the collections, materials, databases, etc.  I love people, literature, information, digital spaces and curation, so how could I not love my job?!

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Here I am filling up our book vending machine.

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I believe that kindness is important in the workplace. I try to spread kindness everywhere I go!

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I am a volunteer grant assessor for the Niagara Community Foundation.

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I am a volunteer grant assessor for the Niagara Community Foundation.

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I am passionate about building smart and caring communities.

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And good wine!

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Two of my favourite things.

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Positive thinking leads to positive results.

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Positive thinking leads to positive results.

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I came across this beautiful wall mural in San Diego and I love its message.
FYI, my office is full of positive & uplifting quotations. I'm THAT person!

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My furry friend.

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This is my preferred leadership style.

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Cultivate relationships 43

Make intelligent decisions 43

Create a learning environment 42

Sustain a healthy workplace 38

Embrace strategic and purposeful change 37

Reach for exemplary service 36

Develop individuals 34

Animate the Vision 32

Navigate municipal and community connectedness 32

My CEO rated me and it was interesting to see that we both ranked my leadership practices in the same order. I think this means that I’m pretty self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses, so that’s a great start.

I wasn’t at all surprised by my results for the leadership self-assessment tool. Relationships are important to me so it makes sense that’s my strongest leadership practice. Despite knowing for a while that I need to invest more time and energy into developing individuals, it was quite sad for me to see that practice so low down in my current list of leadership abilities. I want this to be one of my top abilities, so I really need to focus on growing and developing my coaching skills.  I also really need to improve upon my ability to articulate a vision, as well as navigating municipal & community connectedness. I have to admit that, until recently, I haven’t had much exposure to either area, but I understand that their significance is paramount to a library’s success.

This was a very helpful exercise!

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The honeymoon capital of the world is where I call home.

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Leadership Titles: Recommended Titles from Leadership Course

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Leadership Titles: Recommended Titles from Leadership Course

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A few years ago, I had the great fortune of participating in a year-long Leadership program run by the City of Niagara Falls for their managers. I met with other managers from City departments for one day each month for presentations by industry experts. One of the best takeaways from that course was the list of recommended leadership book titles that left with. Each presenter made their recommendations and I compiled them in a wish list on Amazon. You can view it here: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/eyx6dPX  If that link doesn’t work, you can search for this  wish list by my name (Ashleigh Dronyk) or by my email (addronyk@gmail.com). Happy reading!

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My husband and I have a running joke that outside of work/volunteering/hobbies, I'm known as "Mike's wife" because he is very loud, outgoing, and literally talks to anyone and everyone. I'm the more reserved partner, but I can get chatty too!

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Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath

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Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath

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I graduated from Queen's University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature and a minor in French Literature. In 2009, I received my MLIS from Western.
I'd love to go back to school one day and get my MBA. If I could go back and do that in Kingston at Queen's, that would be even better!

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There are many definitions of leadership, so much so that I think it’s probably easier to define what leadership is NOT. Leadership is not about a certain salary or title. You can be a leader in your workplace, in your home – anywhere really – all without having a title. And there is no singular ideal personality type for a leader either. Just like all people are unique, leaders come with all types of personality traits and attributes. And last but not least, leaders and managers are definitely not the same thing. You can be a manager AND a leader, but you can also be a leader and not a manager. Leadership is more of a mindset in action. While managers are task-based and mechanical in process, leaders inspire and motivate others to create value and success. I saw the following phrase countless times during my research about leadership, “Managers spend most of their time managing things. Leaders lead people.” I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Forming relationships and partnerships and motivating teams to cultivate creativity and excellence is what makes leadership more than just management.

Another common theme in leadership is the debate about whether or not leaders are born or made.  I fall into the camp that believes that great leaders can be developed. While I do suspect there are certain skills that innately make a person more suitable to be a leader (like empathy), I believe that any skill can be developed, even soft skills.

What are considered to be the most important leadership competencies are varied across the field; however, there are some constants such as: confidence, focus, decisiveness, awareness, accountability, honesty, inspiration, optimism, effective communication, and empathy.  Having said that, there are many different types of leaders, so depending on what type of leader you want to be, there may be other skills that require further refinement. For example there are bureaucratic leaders, transactional leaders, inspirational leaders, laissez-faire leaders, and transformational leaders, just to name a few. No matter which type of leader you aspire to be, I think we can probably all agree that great leaders should be great role models. They should lead by example through the things they say and do, and as a result, others will emulate them.

I am most excited by inspirational leaders or transformational leaders. In both instances, their character is strong. Their desire is to serve and develop others and they have an abundance mindset. Their competency is highly developed and specialized and their focus is on leading (influencing/releasing) people and developing motivational leaders. And last but not least, they value people more than the position. Knowing that these are the type of leaders that I respect and admire the most, I think it’s logical that I side with the scholars who believe that emotional intelligence sets great leaders apart from the rest. To me, it’s irrefutable that emotional intelligence is necessary for the leaders of today (which also encompasses self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, & social skill).

Whether or not we agree or disagree upon a shared definition of leadership, whether or not leaders are born or made, what are the most important leadership competencies, or what is the ideal type of leader, we can’t ignore the fact that Millennials are now the largest portion of the workforce and will increasingly occupy leadership ranks in the future. Their generation is driving the changes in leadership development so we must listen to their needs and help them cultivate and grow their skills so that they can become the leaders of tomorrow. That also means that there is an urgency to motivate our current leaders to become more effective leaders so that they can lead the next generation of leaders, starting now! The heat is on!

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Module 1.1 Two Minute Learning Style Activity

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Module 1.1 Two Minute Learning Style Activity

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According to the Index of Learning Styles questionnaire, I’m a balanced learner (I received a score of 1 in all categories). I would tend to agree with this assessment as I feel how I learn best differs depending on the subject matter and the situation. For example, if it’s a subject that I’m comfortable with, like Comparative Literature, I have no problem switching between written/verbal learning (with information presented through a lecture and notes on the board) and visual learning (where information is presented in photographs, timelines and concept maps).  However, if we switch to math, my learning preference is much more fixed and far less balanced. I’m definitely a sensing learner rather than an intuitive learner when it comes to math, so unless you can apply what I’m learning back to the real world, I’m going to struggle. In other words, I struggle with the abstract and theoretical applications of mathematical concepts in algebra and calculus; but, I’ve always been comfortable with business math because is more concrete and applicable to my life and everyday situations. Either way, when it comes to math, I’m still a sensor because of my competence in that subject, whereas I can switch back and forth between being a visual learner and a verbal learner when it comes to Comparative Literature…because that’s my expertise.

In order for me to truly learn, I have be in the right frame of mind. What I mean by that is that I have to be open and receptive to what I’m learning and actually want to learn. If I’m detached or narrow in my understanding of a subject, I’ve noticed that it’s much more difficult for me to learn about it. I really have to ‘pep’ myself up to shift my attitude into a positive growth mindset. I feel like that’s why I learn so much from conferences and workshops. It’s impossible (for me at least) to have a fixed mindset about something when I’m surrounded by passionate and engaged individuals. It really goes to show that learning is an attitude!

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Module 3.3 Purpose & Value of the PL Activity

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Module 3.3 Purpose & Value of the PL Activity

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I recently participated in a SOLS workshop about sustaining a culture of learning, and something that we discussed that day is still stuck in my head. The presenter introduced us to the brilliant vision, mission and values of the Pima County Public Library in Arizona, and let me tell you, they are awesome! Their vision is “an educated, connected community of readers, learners, doers, and dreamers.” And if that’s not inspirational enough, this is their mission: “We transform lives by educating, inspiring, and connecting people.” Their values can be summarized by focusing on the following areas: education, excellence, freedom, diversity, innovation, community, and passion.

When I think of a public library and what our purpose is, Pima County pretty much nails it on the head. To me, a public library is somewhere where information is free and uncensored. It’s a safe and supportive gathering place for the community where everyone is welcome, regardless of your age, income, race, religion, sexual orientation or mental or physical capacity – and where everyone is valued. It’s a place where one can learn, teach, dream, innovate and debate. It’s also a place where one can go in search of self-improvement, self-fulfillment, and self-esteem.

I think that one of the enduring values of public libraries is that there will always be a need to support literacy. One of Kitchener Public Library’s values – opportunity – explains this need so well: “Literacy is more than reading. It’s about finding and using information, learning new technology, understanding numbers, creating music, or producing a video. We help people of all ages develop the basic and complex skills needed in today’s world.” I love everything about this value because it builds upon one of our longest standing purposes, to support literacy, but the approach is modern and reflects the needs of individuals living in an age of technology and innovation.

In a world where individualistic practices and values are on the rise, I believe that the need for a safe and supportive gathering space (that is equitable and welcome to everyone) will be greater than ever before. Libraries will continue to be community hubs where people will come together to connect, engage, innovate, learn, dream, and grow. Libraries will continue to provide access to resources and services – for leisure and for education. And last but certainly not least, we will continue to improve lives, celebrate our differences, and contribute to a culture of social good.

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I swear I'm a Leo & not a Virgo.

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Proof that three heads are better than one.
(Very important side note: I also have three beautiful nieces)

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Growing up I was a competitive swimmer, lifeguard, and swimming instructor. I believe those experiences shaped me and taught me many valuable life skills, including the importance of teamwork and time management.

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Some of my favourites include: The School of Greatness, Oprah's Super Soul Conversations, Serial, Undisclosed, The goop Podcast, Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso, The Food Medic, and HBR Women at Work.

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This is where you'll find me sitting and doing all my APLL homework.