LEADING WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Transcription

1 LEADING WITHOUT AUTHORITY ARLD Day 2012 MAINTAINING BALANCE AND RELATIONSHIPS 27 April 2012

2 TODAY S DISCUSSION* Opportunities for informal leadership Qualities of effective leaders Scenarios Challenges for leading without authority Tips for addressing the challenges Discussion * Based on R. L. Ewing & M. K. Prescott, Leading without authority: Maintaining balance and relationships, in D. Lowe-Wincentsen & L. Crook, (Eds.), Mid-career library and information professionals: A leadership primer (2011), Oxford: Chandos Publishing. 2

3 OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP Committees Task forces Virtual teams Organized working groups Professional associations 3

4 Management controls people by pushing them in the right direction; leadership motivates them by satisfying basic human needs. John P. Kotter, What leaders really do, Harvard Business Review (May-June 1990):

5 Leadership isn t about a position, it s about behavior. Doing something willingly because you respect and trust someone is different from doing something because they have the authority to give you an order. -- Jim Kouzes (author of The Leadership Challenge) 5

6 QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS Emotional intelligence Self-Awareness Self-Regulation Motivation Empathy Social Skill Daniel Goleman, What makes a leader?, Harvard Business Review (November-December 1998):

7 QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS Listening skills Accept ideas, criticism, and other feedback that can improve the organization and create an atmosphere of excellence and caring Concentrate on what s being said, not your immediate response Perry M. Smith, Rules and tools for leaders: A down-to-earth guide to effective managing, New York: Perigee,

8 QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS Lateral leadership Networking Constructive persuasion and negotiation Consultation Coalition building Lauren Keller Johnson, Debriefing Jay Conger: Exerting influence without authority, Harvard Management Update 8,12 (2003):

9 FOCUS ON WOMEN LEADERS Old leadership Aggressive Assertive Autocratic Muscular Closed New leadership Consultative Relational Caring Inclusive Transparent Gloria Feldt, Women leaders: Is this a breakthrough moment?, Leadership Excellence 24,5 (2012): 18. 9

10 FOCUS ON WOMEN LEADERS Seven Deadly Traps Being one of the boys Playing the martyr Having no voice and no choice Waiting for rescue Peace at any price Hurry, hurry, hurry! Self-protection Dede Henley, Seven deadly traps: Women leaders are susceptible, Leadership Excellence 24,5 (2007): 7. 10

11 SCENARIO 1 You are a member of an expenditures committee that prioritizes one-time purchases and forwards the recommendations to the dean Members of the group represent all areas of the library and information technology Each member brings forward requests from his/her area for the group to evaluate A majority of the members must approve the request for it to move forward 11

12 CHALLENGE Representing your department Interpreting and relaying the intent of your group Identifying which issues are pertinent to your group and how they will effect your team s work Determining the right amount of information to share with your group 12

13 TIPS Representing your department Prepare for meetings Communicate using multiple methods Plant ideas in various settings Establish credibility Understand existing social and political systems 13

14 SCENARIO 2 You are the Reference representative on your library s web team You are proposing some changes to the library website The web designer is less than enthusiastic about your suggestions 14

15 CHALLENGE Working on committees and task forces Diverse work cultures Different communication styles Variations in definitions of project and/or expected outcomes Unclear roles of group members 15

16 TIPS Working on committees and task forces Establish ground rules or a social contract for group* Utilize open and non-assuming communication Clarify and rephrase to reach understanding Solicit participation from all team members Foster relationships with people outside your work area Christine M. Riordan and Kevin O'Brien, For great teamwork, start with a social contract, Harvard Business Review Blog Network (April 17, 2012), 16

17 SCENARIO 3 You are the chair of a committee in a professional association (i.e. MLA, ACRL) Your charge is to review recent publications in the library literature and identify a recipient of a publication award Your committee members are from around the country and from various sized libraries Most of the work of the committee is done online 17

18 CHALLENGE Reaching consensus Workload imbalance Territoriality Inefficient teamwork 18

19 TIPS Reaching consensus Acknowledge and build on expertise of others Let go of ownership of ideas Run effective meetings 19

20 SCENARIO 4 You are a member of your library s information literacy (IL) task force Your charge is to develop a multi-pronged approach to IL, including library instruction, credit courses, and online tutorials One member of the group rarely offers input or volunteers for tasks; another member monopolizes the discussions Other members are critical of both of these individuals 20

21 CHALLENGE Balancing personalities Unresolved conflicts peripheral to the group Unequal participation Discussion dominators Bullying 21

22 TIPS Balancing personalities Focus on strengths of each member Account for different communication styles Prompt individuals when needed Model discretion, empathy, and encouragement Separate the person from the problem Allow opportunities for venting Escalate issues when necessary 22

23 TIPS Checklist for running effective meetings Decide and communicate purpose of meeting Solicit agenda items Develop and send agendas in advance Balance off-topic discussions with agenda items Encourage others to take ownership of their ideas Ask for volunteers to participate in projects Recap decisions and follow-ups for participants and others 23

24 CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP Leadership skills can be learned Observe others Brainstorm with experienced colleagues Read books and attend courses Practice to hone your skills 24

25 THANK YOU! Robin Ewing Melissa Prescott 25