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. 

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!

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!

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!