Working KnowledgeA Monthly Column about Life on the Job |
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By Mary Pergander American Libraries Columnist Mary Pergander is director of the Deerfield (Ill.) Public Library. Send comments or questions to working@ala.org. Column for November 2006 |
Taking the Lead
Several years ago, I spotted a poster containing only words. Each phrase represented a group of some kind: gaggle of geese, pod of whales, and others even more obscure and amusing. I do not know if there is such a phrase for a collection of leaders, so I am casting my vote for “community of leaders.”
That is what we are trying so hard to build. Initiatives like ALA President Leslie Burger’s Emerging Leaders venture (see p. 3), and other projects at the state and local levels, seek to provide leadership continuity, build important skills, and develop a sense of camaraderie among the participants. In my own experience with the Synergy program in Illinois, the chance to build professional linkages with gifted librarians who were quite different from me expanded my views of professionalism, leadership, opportunity, and teamwork.
I became a second-career librarian in December 2002. It has taken me time and effort to learn to speak “librarian,” to understand how we are organized and how to present ideas so they are accepted. The librarian-based leadership sessions I have attended provided valuable insight and important contacts. As a result, I have been able to get involved and contribute early in my career. This type of training jump-starts librarians personally and professionally—it helped me leapfrog into leadership opportunities I may not otherwise have had for several years, if at all. Will librarianship get back its investment in me? Absolutely.
Allow participation
It is not enough simply to offer these sessions for newer librarians. There is another side to leadership mentoring—fostering participation. A recent radio commercial opens with the CEO of a gigantic corporation saying that the organization is always open to new ideas. A small but enthusiastic voice offers a suggestion. After a brief pause, the CEO continues his speech without acknowledging the speaker. If we are ready to groom new leaders, we must act responsibly and create opportunities for them to serve, and then listen to the thoughts and perspectives they offer.
To allow new ideas to grow, we must also be prepared to hand over our committees, councils, and initiatives to these emerging leaders whether or not we are ready, and whether or not they are completely prepared. Some growth can only come from doing, learning, and trying again. We cannot hold onto our own ideas so preciously that we resist the changes these fledgling leaders are bound to bring. We must not fall prey to the desire to build a cadre of clones, reinforcing only those who promise to carry on the traditions we hold dear. We must champion those who dare us, mock us, and challenge us in order for the profession to be stronger in the uncertain future. Are we ready to do that?
Some are still debating how to define “emerging leader.” We will have the opportunity to revise our definitions as we go forward. Let us get started anyway and see what happens.
To be successful, programs that grow new leaders must receive support from two groups. Are you already an active leader? Release perfectionism and say yes to worthwhile attempts to provide leadership training. Then, invest in the initiatives that produce the best results. Demonstrate your commitment to the profession by recommending and encouraging participants, serving as a mentor, providing funding if possible, and relinquishing control when it is time.
Are you a motivated early-career librarian? Apply for and fully participate in some of the advanced training options currently available. Then, fulfill the promise inherent in accepting these opportunities by signing on for committees, task forces, or councils, and giving them your best efforts.
(c) Copyright 2006 American Library Association