{"id":67482,"date":"2014-04-07T13:30:45","date_gmt":"2014-04-07T18:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=67482"},"modified":"2014-04-09T11:34:57","modified_gmt":"2014-04-09T16:34:57","slug":"not-bossy-the-boss-10-tips-for-building-librarian-leadership-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=67482","title":{"rendered":"Not Bossy\u2014the Boss! 10 Tips for Building Librarian Leadership Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alphild Dick, Head Editor, INALJ Washington<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Not Bossy\u2014the Boss!
\n10 Tips for Building Librarian Leadership Skills<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"alphild-dick\"<\/a>Recently, a good friend confessed to me that she struggles with taking leadership roles at work. This friend is sharp, dedicated, and has years of experience in her field. She is one of the most competent individuals that I know. I was, to put it mildly, shocked that she felt that way. It was baffling to think that she didn\u2019t feel ready to take on leadership roles\u2014if she didn\u2019t, who would?<\/p>\n

I admitted to her that I take a very different tack than she does\u2014volunteering for leadership positions and then crossing my fingers that I haven\u2019t just jumped off some sort of professional cliff. And even as I write this, I wonder, who I am to tell you about leadership in libraries? Then I have to remind myself that I regularly lead projects at my job. I have in the past, as well. They have been pretty successful endeavors, too. So why the sense of being ill prepared?<\/p>\n

This is not to rehash Lean In<\/i><\/strong><\/a>–though, it is an extremely interesting, and important, conversation. Instead, I wonder how we can make ourselves feel more prepared to take the lead in our libraries. There is no shortage of passion, dedication, experience, or motivation in libraries. What can we do to motivate ourselves to use that positive energy, and step into leadership roles?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Know your organization:<\/b> A good leader knows how to contextualize things. Being knowledgeable about your organization\u2019s structure, who you are working with and for, will help you make informed decisions later. This doesn\u2019t happen overnight, but being observant of the structures at work will increase effectiveness later.<\/li>\n
  2. Know yourself:<\/b> What are your professional skills and strengths? Moreover, what are your personal skills and strengths? I\u2019ve found that being aware of my Myers-Briggs type (INFP, if you are curious) has been really useful in helping me understand how I relate to others. Anyone can develop leadership skills, but knowing who you are will help you develop an effective leadership style.<\/li>\n
  3. Get ready to collaborate:<\/b> Collaboration is an enormous part of librarianship. Good leadership in collaboration is about pinpointing other\u2019s skills and letting them use those skills. Taking advantage of opportunities to work in groups, even when you are not the leader, lets you hone your people skills.<\/li>\n
  4. Listen:<\/b> This is a subset of collaboration, as listening is a collaborative activity, but it bears its own mention. By practicing active listening skills, like paraphrasing, clarifying, and striving to empathize with your coworkers, you demonstrate not only your ability to hear people, but also that you care.<\/li>\n
  5. Find a mentor:<\/b> It\u2019s nice if you have someone who can officially occupy that role, but there is huge value just in having another professional with more, or at least different, experiences than you, who can give you both feedback and encouragement when you need it.<\/li>\n
  6. Believe:<\/b> Okay, so for a lot of us, believing in ourselves is hard. But if you can\u2019t believe in yourself, try believing in why<\/i> you are doing your job. Simon Sinek gives a fantastic Ted Talk on the efficacy of leading with the why<\/i>, not the how<\/i> or what<\/i>, arguing that selling others on the beliefs and ideas behind a product or proposal is what inspires action. But, you have to sell yourself on it first. In other words, you can\u2019t lead others if you don\u2019t think you\u2019re doing something worth following. Keeping a career journal<\/a> is a great way to hash out what your professional values and visions are\u2014and it helps you figure out how to express them.<\/li>\n
  7. Prepare:<\/b> Whether it\u2019s your elevator pitch, a project timeline, or proposing a solution to a day-to-today problem, know the talking points. Again, this is where keeping a journal comes in mighty handy. To be fair, you don\u2019t have to have detailed plans for world domination<\/span> your proposal, but articulating your ideas, values, and plans is a key step in taking leadership.<\/li>\n
  8. Have opinions:<\/b> Really. Even if they end up being wrong, have opinions. Even if you change them later, have them. You don\u2019t need to have them on everything\u2014it\u2019s okay to admit that something isn\u2019t particularly important to you. Having strong opinions is one thing that gets leaders labeled bossy<\/i>, but the general absence of opinions is apathy. Apathy won\u2019t get anyone anywhere. Bonus points\u2014showing openness to other viewpoints, and being open to changing yours, increases your credibility as a leader.<\/li>\n
  9. Be ready to fail:<\/b> Failure is as unpleasant as it is necessary. Falling flat on your face is useful because it ultimately allows for innovation. If nothing goes wrong, then you don\u2019t need new, better solutions. And your willingness to try again after failure communicates something invaluable to others\u2014that you are committed to the why<\/i> of what you are doing, not the what <\/i>or the how<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    10. Get beyond bossy<\/i>:<\/b> Most of us, regardless of gender, want to be liked. A lot of us worry that taking the lead makes us seem bossy, controlling, or demanding. But it can\u2019t be our sole focus, whether we take leadership roles or not. There are other ways to build good relationships with your colleagues than making sure they like you.<\/p>\n

    So, how does this translate into specific actions for the typical MLS student? Or a new professional? Thankfully, there are enormous opportunities for leadership in our field, and a perpetual need for it. If you are a student, get involved. Join ALA, SLA, PLA, or your state library association and then get involved in committees and conferences. Speak up on social media. Groups like ALA Think Tank<\/a> are great because they give professionals from all backgrounds, levels of experience, and types of specialization a chance to share what they know. Start a blog and share your thoughts and experiences. If your program offers a practicum option, strongly consider taking advantage of it.<\/p>\n

    If you are in your first years as an MLS\u2019ed professional (regardless of where you use that MLS), the same groups and organizations can provide opportunities for you. Having an active professional life outside of your 9-5 job is an excellent way to develop relationships and experiences. However, there are always opportunities to build leadership experience at a job. When you see things that need to be fixed–figuratively or literally, matter how small–be the person to fix them. Volunteer for committees and projects; even if they fall outside the scope of your experience, if it interests you, pursue it. Take advantage of webinars–WebJunction<\/a> and InfoPeople<\/a> have great ones–to inform your skill set. And make sure that your supervisor knows about your contributions. While much about leading involves recognizing the thoughts and abilities of others, being able to advocate for yourself is extremely valuable.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Thanks to Beyonce for the title <\/a>of this blog post!<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Alphild Dick, Head Editor, INALJ Washington Not Bossy\u2014the Boss! 10 Tips for Building Librarian Leadership Skills Recently, a good friend confessed to me that she struggles with taking leadership roles at work. This friend is sharp, dedicated, and has years of experience in her field. She is one of the most competent individuals that…<\/p>\n

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