Leadedhip
Transcript of Leadedhip
Leadership Skills: Do we need them? Can we gain them?France BouthillierDirector – Associate ProfessorGraduate School of Library and Information StudiesMcGill University
Who needs leadership skills?
Those involved in: Resources management Project management Advocacy Lobbying Change management
What about you?
What is leadership?
Many definitions Many theories Many leader traits and styles
Ability to influence others for getting the job done through commitment of people
Sources of power
organizational: legitimate power - granted by hierarchy reward power - to give or withhold reward coercive power - power to punish
personal referent power - identification, imitation expert power – knowledge, expertise
Managers and leaders: same skills? Managers are not necessarily
leaders Leaders are not necessarily
managers However, good managers and
leaders should have both management and leadership skills
Manager Vs. Leader
Managers Administer Maintain the status quo Use control Deal with details and
tactics Focus on systems and
rules Have limited view Do the thing right
Leaders Innovate Develop Inspire trust Deal with strategies Focus on people and
values Look at the big picture Do the right thing
Qualities of managers vs. leadersManagers Rule-oriented Communicative Create pressure Care about satisfaction Outcome-oriented Problem controller Respectful of traditions Reactive Responsible
Leaders Assertive Persuasive Able to work under
pressure Good motivator Visionary Problem solver Creative Proactive
Examples of leaders
Who is an inspiring leader? Have you encountered a good
leader? Do you have models of
leaders?
Emotional intelligence
Good leaders have also Self-awareness Self-confidence Self-control Commitment and integrity Ability to communicate,
influence, initiate change and accept change (Goleman, 1998)
Transformational leadership
argues for the importance of strong leaders with charismatic personalities who can
optimize the personal and professional development of others
Develop strong vision Act as teachers, facilitators, motivators Never put personal before group interests Make moral and ethical decisions
What makes a leader?
Guiding vision or sense of purpose
Passion and enthusiasm Integrity Self-knowledge Honesty Curiosity Risk taking
A typology of leaders
According to Pitcher (1999), leaders can be: Artists who are intuitive and have dreams Craftsmen who deal with day-to-day
operations Technocrats who are analytical, brilliant
but distant
Leadership and women
1929, women could earn a salary 1950, to work as teachers, women
had to be single or members of religious communities
1964, women have the right to make banking transactions on their own
1975, Charter on human rights 1996, legislation on equity
Leadership and women
For women, leadership skills and styles had to evolve differently than for men
In spite of barriers, at any time in history, we can find outstanding female leaders in various social areas
Leadership and librarians Are librarians motivated to become
leaders?
Do we have inspiring leaders in libraries?
Do we like leaders in libraries?
Do librarians have the skills to become leaders?
Leadership and change managementParadigm shifts: Resources Services Users
Implications on: Job design
Technology Human resources
Forces for change
external- new technologies- political, economic, financial conditions, world market- customer demands, changes in competition internal- re-engineering, costs- revision of plan/objectives, communications- employee turnover, changes in work practices
Change requires leaders who can Create a realistic sense of urgency for
change Create a clear vision of the future Remove obstacles to change Anchor changes in the organization’s
culture Follow through with plans
But leading change also means
Machiavelli in The Prince (1514): “It must be realized that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of success, or more dangerous to manage than the establishment of a new order of things…
Why change is difficult to implement? People don’t understand or don’t want to People aren’t informed People’s security is threatened People prefer the status quo People have vested interests Inertia and obsolescence
Challenges for leaders
Managing participation is a balancing act: between management control and team opportunity; between getting the work done quickly and giving people a chance to learn; between seeking volunteers and pushing people into it; between too little team spirit and too much. Kanter (1983).
How to gain leadership skills?
First, you need to explore your values
Second, who can serve as a model for you and why?
Third, what is your vision of your profession, service, organization?
How to gain leadership skills?
Develop emotional intelligence Including empathy And trustworthiness Need to decide whether you want
innovation, change and risk taking
You can develop skills…
Only if you are truly motivated to do so
However your style and ability will always be determined by your personality
Means for developing skills
Workshops Institutes Role playing Community involvement Personal experiences
Libraries need leaders more than ever because Change is permanent Need to develop strong vision of the role
of libraries and design of library services Need for partnerships, communication,
advocacy, lobbying
Are you ready for it?
If not, others professions and experts will take a leadership role ….
Thank you!
Comments are appreciated:[email protected]