Creating Leaders A study of the Northern Exposure to Leadership Participants – Before and After

1. Creating LeadersA study of the Northern Exposure to Leadership Participants – Before and After February 3, 2005

2. Daniel Phelandphelan@ryerson.ca • Ryerson University • MCE in Workplace Learning • University of Calgary • Online Masters degree • Began in 2000

3. Why is there such a great need for Leaders ? • Aging of the librarian population • Changing nature of libraries and information • Challenges of new technology, funding sources and a more diverse clientele • Challenge of “competitors” like Google and other Internet-based resources

4. There is a strongly expressed need for leaders and leadership development in libraries today • “ If libraries are to be fully recognized as agencies essential to cultural, educational, and economic life of their communities, then they must be staffed by leaders who can reorganize, renew, and redirect resources with vigor and assurance.” Sheldon, 1991 • “ The 21st century library demands visionary leadership” Riggs, 1998

5. There is a strongly expressed need for leaders and leadership development in libraries today • “A major obligation of leadership in a time of wrenching transition is the active development of the successor generation” Battin, 1998 • “ To ensure a vital and viable professional future, librarianship must embrace a commitment to the identification, recruitment, and nurturing of the next generation of leaders” Hernon, Powell and Young, 2003

6. Leadership is now a major topic in librarianship • But it was not always so • Leadership studies began in the military and later politics • Now most leadership research concentrates on the business world

7. What does the library world think about leadership ? • With few exceptions librarians only began to seriously discuss leadership a little more than 10 years ago • Still reluctant to use the word “leadership” or prefers narrower terms like “ management”, “administration”, etc. • Far behind other fields ( like nursing for example) in recognizing value of leadership and scholarship in this field

8. Definitions of leadership vary • In its simplest terms, leaders get out in front or bring people along • Leaders inspire • Leaders have vision • Leaders share power

9. Other traits of leaders • Agents of change • Apostles of hope • Good listeners • Coaches and teachers • Decisive • Risk-takers • Enforce standards • Tenacious • Results-oriented

10. Is leadership the same as management ? • Generally leaders have traits that make them good managers • But managers may not be great leaders • It is not essential to be a manager to be a leader • One can be a leader from the ranks; indeed leaders can be found at all levels of organizations and groups

11. Popular Experts Today • Warren Bennis and Bert Nanus • James Kouzas and Barry Posner • John Kotter • Daniel Goleman • Peter Senge • And in libraries • Sheldon • Hernon, Powell and Young • Battin • Riggs • Winston and Neely

12. Managers and Leaders • “The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.” Warren Bennis

13. Leaders need followers • Not everyone can be a leader in every situation • It is not always necessary but leaders have probably been followers first • Some people do not have the desire or the qualities to be leaders • Followers fulfill very important functions and they need their leaders to have certain qualities

14. What followers expect: • Honesty • Competence • Forward-looking attitudes • Inspiration • These create credibility • Kouzes and Posner

15. Today’s Library Leaders • Need the skills to deal with demanding challenges: • Change agenda • Demands for accountability, improvement • Cuts in funding • Technological advancement • Student-centered educational institutions • Globalization of knowledge • Diversity

16. Bennis and Nanus survey • In early 1987 ninety “leaders” (CEOs, company presidents, board chairpersons) were interviewed • Four strategies or “kernels” of truth were developed • Leaders were found to possess • Attention through vision • Meaning through communication • Trust through positioning • Positive self-regard

17. Leaders in Libraries • Brooke Sheldon replicated the Bennis and Nanus study with librarians • Library leaders were distinguished by commitment to the value of their work • She added to the study the role of mentors and found those important

18. The Need for Library Education for Leadership • Allow students to gain a knowledge of themselves, strengths and weaknesses • Then, gain more knowledge of areas of interest • Leadership internships • Create a leadership culture • From Sheldon’s Leaders in Libraries

19. Mentoring • Leadership literature emphasizes the mentor-protégé relationship • Library leadership institutes also emphasize mentoring • Mentoring is a direct outgrowth of the impulse of generativity – wishing to influence the next generation positively • Mentoring is crucial for succession planning

20. How do people learn to lead: • Trial and error • People • Education • Leaders are made, not born. • Kouzes and Posner

21. Five Practices of Leaders • Challenge the process. • Inspire a shared vision. • Enable others to act. • Model the way. • Encourage the heart. • Kouzes and Posner • Similar to Peter Senge’s 5th Discipline

22. Leaders and Leadership • Leadership rests in the wise use of power and articulation of a vision others will follow • Leadership encompasses vision and strategy, influencing people through interpersonal skills

23. General leadership writings • Leadership is written about extensively in the business literature • Theories generally stress leadership in for -profit organizations • Qualities of leaders seem to be universal and may be applied in many situations • There have been many theories of leadership advanced over the years

24. Are leaders born or made ? • Early studies assumed leaders were born but none of these studies were conclusive • If they are born then leadership training is meaningless • If they are made then anyone theoretically can be a leader • The truth probably lies in between – leaders are probably born with the aptitude but need guidance and nurturing to realize their leadership potential

25. How can the traits of leadership and the behaviours associated with it be instilled in librarians ? • One answer is…

26. Library Leadership Institutes • Frye Institute • ACRL/Harvard Institute • Snowbird Institute • Synergy: the Illinois Library Leadership Initiative • MPLA Leadership Institute • Library Leadership Ohio • New Jersey Academy of Library Leadership • TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute • Wyoming Library Leadership Institute • YSLead Massachusetts

27. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute (NELI) • A Canadian leadership institute • Takes place in British Columbia but sponsored by University of Alberta • Inspired by the Snowbird Institute

28. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute (NELI) • NELI is held every 18 months • Since 1994 there have been seven institutes • Participants nominated by individuals or groups as emerging leaders who would benefit from leadership training • Participants are generally new librarians with at least one year of work experience and who have graduated within the last 7 years • Between 24-26 participants each institute

29. What NELI expects of participants • Be a graduate of an accredited librarianship and/or information science programme • Demonstrated leadership potential • Excellent communications skills • Accomplishments in his/her academic performance • Successful employment experience

30. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE MISSION • THE VISION • THE INSTITUTE • THE GOALS • THE PROGRAM • THE MENTORS

31. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE VISION: • To contribute to the vitality, growth and success of the library profession well into the 21st century, by positioning professionals to be proactive, effective and consequential voices in a dynamic and sophisticated information environment.

32. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE MISSION: • To motivate professional librarians in order to assist them in developing, strengthening and exercising their individual leadership abilities so that they are better prepared to create, articulate and achieve organizational visions for the benefit of library service, initially, and society at large, ultimately.

33. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE INSTITUTE: • Will provide a unique opportunity for professional librarians to share with peers and mentors a five day experiential and theoretical learning situation in Canada. Participants will explore and experiment with such leadership concepts as vision, risk taking, creativity, communication, change, power, and styles of leadership -- all to be done within a context of self-exploration, evaluation and development. The Institute will also provide an opportunity for those attending to develop integrated professional networks.

34. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE GOALS: • To instill progressive and effective leadership strategies, attitudes and skills by: • providing participants with an individual and personal learning experience in order to build a foundation upon which they can develop leadership skills: • encourage participants to recognize and/or initiate creative innovations and seize opportunities, especially when there is a risk involved; • guiding participants to appreciate and thrive in a changing political and demographical environment.

35. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE PROGRAM: • Combines experiential and theoretical learning, with an emphasis on the former. The program will: • model leadership, group work, team building and collegiality; • engage participants in a discussion about leadership, what it means, how it is recognized, developed and sustained; • expose participants to a variety of leadership styles, including those that are innovative and may fall outside of traditional North American/European thought;

36. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • engage participants in a discussion about vision, what it means, how it is communicated and how it is achieved; • assist participants in learning to manage change by making creative connections in order to create opportunities for themselves as individuals as well as for their profession; • provide participants an opportunity to learn from team-based approaches; • be premised in a theoretical framework which will permeate the Institute in order to provide a consistent foundation upon which subsequent learning may be built.

37. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • THE MENTORS: • Professional leaders will be invited to act as mentors. Mentors will be those who can act as team facilitators, guides, coaches, sounding boards and role models -- without personally needing "center stage". They will be change agents who can demonstrate leadership qualities consistent with the 'Vision' and 'Mission' of the Institute.

38. Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute • Mentors will also engage in group discussions which will provide them an opportunity to talk with participants about what has motivated, helped, hindered and inspired them in their professional activities. Additionally, they may discuss how they have balanced those activities with their personal lives. Mentors will be asked to engage in daily evaluations as well as act as a project team for each Institute, forming a synergistic support relationship with the Institute organizers. • Mentors will participate on a voluntary basis, which is intended to set a tone and spirit of commitment, individual interest and collegiality.

39. My Research on NELI • In order to survey a manageable group I chose NELI • As part of my requirement for my Masters degree I am writing a thesis or pursuing a project

40. Research is at a preliminary stage • Specific conclusions may change • Basic trends will probably be the same • This is not a longitudinal study and there are no control groups • Results are therefore very preliminary and further research beyond mine is needed

41. Details and Results of NELI Survey • 38 Questions • Not everyone answered every question • Results don’t always equal 100% of participants • All done online using Survey Monkey and all responses were anonymous • 69 usable responses out of a potentail 141 • A return rate of nearly 50% !

42. Details and Results of NELI Survey • 141 “graduates” of the Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute (NELI) willing to participate • Closed LISTSERV announced the survey and provided link • Survey Monkey was chosen to create the survey • Survey based on a previous one done in United States regarding the Snowbird Institute

43. The participants who replied • 78% female • 22 % male • Aged 31-35 (35%) • Aged 40 -45 (24%) • Other 41% much smaller groups • None under 25 years

44. Length of Time as Librarians before NELI • Slightly over 50% had been librarians from 1.5 to 4 years when they attended NELI • Slightly less than half had been librarians 5 to 8 years • The two largest groups were those who had been librarians 4 years or 7 years

45. Length of Time as Librarians at time of survey • One half of respondents had been in the profession from 3 – 8 years • The other half from 9 – 17 years • The largest group ( 11) had been librarians for 9 years

46. Geographical location • One third of the attendees lived in Ontario and another third lived in the Prairie Provinces before NELI • About 50% lived in a large city • This stayed very much the same after NELI

47. Type of Library • Before NELI • 30 were in academic libraries • 22 were in public libraries • 9 were in special and governmental libraries • 2 worked in other venues

48. Type of Library • After NELI • 27 were in academic libraries • 21 were in public libraries • 8 were in special and governmental libraries • 4 worked in other venues

49. Other experience • About 22 respondents had worked as paraprofessionals pre-NELI • Sixty-five respondent held positions in another non-library field • These included • Musicians • Bookstore and other business owners • Scientists and engineers • Teachers and College instructors • Professionals in the health care field • Research assistants

50. Work history • 47% still in same job as before NELI • 52% have changed their jobs