Tough Times Call for
Tough Leaders
New Jersey Library Association
2011 Conference
© The Ivy Group, Ltd 2010
Available at…
• http://ivylibrary.com/services/resources
© The Ivy Group, Ltd 2010
It’s All About You!
Ultimately the success of any organization
depends on the quality of its leadership
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At almost every level…
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Nationally
At the state level
In the profession
In individual libraries
…LEADERSHIP has become a rallying cry.
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Here and now…
…there has never been a greater need for
tough-minded leaders
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Tough Times
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Disproportionate budget cuts
Elimination of regions
Staff reductions
Decimated state libraries
Cutbacks in hours, programs, materials, resources
Unprecedented use
Focus on diversified fundraising
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Tough Times Internally
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Underperforming Trustees
Board discord/hidden agendas
Poor morale
Floods and fires
PR crises
Strife between Trustees and Friends
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Your Style Matters
Impossible to talk about tough leadership without
talking about style
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3 distinct styles
• Authoritative
• Participatory
• Delegative
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What about Librarians?
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Predominately participatory
Color inside the lines
Want consensus
Play nice in the sandbox
Make do/re-use/do without
Qualities not advantageous in tough times
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What about Elected Officials?
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Autocratic/controlling/top down
Egotistical
Want to get re-elected
Leverage/value relationships
Don’t like surprises/deception
Bring personal agendas
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Authoritative Meet Participatory!
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Direct/fact-based
It’s all about business
Align with his/her agenda
Demonstrate ways he/her will benefit
Seek buy in
Let them own the success
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Let’s Celebrate Our Assets
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Librarians are …
• devoted to their work and
service
• loyal to their libraries
• deeply committed
• concerned about their
future
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Libraries thrive when they…
• operate from strength
• give the community what it needs and wants
• keep the faith
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Just for Fun…
• Think of all the animals in the animal kingdom
and select the one that most reminds you of you.
List its characteristics.
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Just for Fun…
• Now, think of the animal that you would most
want to emulate and list its characteristics.
• How do the two images measure up?
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Desirable Leadership Characteristics
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Honest
Forward-looking
Competent
Inspirational
Committed
Passionate
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Desirable Characteristics
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Supportive
Fair-minded
Broad-minded
Intelligent- they know what they know and what
they don’t know
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Less Important Characteristics
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Straightforward
Dependable
Cooperative
Ambitious
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Courageous
Empathic
Loyal
Self-controlled
And, by the way, great leaders are not
always good managers or vice versa
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Good Managers
• Do things “right”
• Focus on “how to”
• Focus on efficiency
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• Administer systems,
policies, controls,
procedures
Good Managers
• Smooth out the wrinkles
within the status quo
• Focus on the bottom line
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Great Leadership Only Begins with
Good Management
Exceptional managers spend their time doing the
most important things.
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ABCs
• C work = clean up what happened yesterday
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ABCs
• B work = manage what is happening today or in
the immediate future
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ABCs
• A work = the long term, big picture projects that
are critical to the future
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Great Leaders Take On
Entrepreneurial Qualities
Characteristics of Librarians
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Tenacity
High Service Standards
Quality of Information
Customer Service
Desire to Serve
Willingness to Take on
User’s Problems
Entrepreneurial Characteristics
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Vision
Willingness to Take Risks
Customer Focus
Initiative
Creativity
Desire for Success
Innovation
Source: Guy St. Clair, Entrepreneurial Librarianship
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Evolving into the Entrepreneurial/
Leadership Mode
• Personally going out of your comfort zone and
encouraging the same from employees
• Raising risk tolerance
• Setting priorities appropriately
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What Might Have to Change?
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Change your style
Spend your time differently
Craft new messages/forge new alliances
Eliminate sacred cows
Master risk assessment
Differentiate between essential and discretionary
Move people’s cheese
Push back/say no
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Preparing for Change
1. Assess the overall organizational readiness for
change
2. Develop a culture that supports critical new
initiatives
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Cultivating New Thinking
3. Develop an organizational strategy with:
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Vision
Values
Critical Success Factors
To Lead Change
4. Design and implement a carefully planned, highinvolvement change strategy around:
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Communication
Skills
Accountability
Systems
Your marketplace
To Lead Change
5. Identify competencies required
for effective performance
6. Set performance goals to
achieve institutional goals
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To Lead Change
7. Have a communications plan
– All hands on deck/every staff person knows the script
– Know when to go public
– Know when the public has to feel the pain
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But … adjusting to change isn’t easy
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Workplace Changes Challenge
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Habits
Behaviors
Organizational culture
Basic assumptions
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Workplace Changes Can Create
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Insecurity
Fear
Anger
Withdrawal
Active resistance
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Tough Leadership is…
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Versatile
More authoritative
Makes factual/data driven decisions
Customer-focused, but true to mission/reflect
planning priorities
• Takes a long term view
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Tough Leadership is…
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Decisive/no waffling
Shares the pain/transparency
Based on objective risk assessment
Willing to call in the chits
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Tough Leaders…
• End up with the right people on the island with
them
• Take the heat for trustees and managers
• Don’t go to the office looking for love
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To become a tough leader…
1. Act expeditiously/but have a plan B
2. Take care of your essential services
3. Identify and protect the people who are critical to
survival
4. Communicate continuously with financial
supporters
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To become a tough leader…
5. Continually engage with your Board
6. Maintain frank communications with key
stakeholders
7. Tighten your belt and streamline internal
opportunities
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Thank You
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