What do you think?
Rate this book
Developing Library Leaders: A How-to-do-it Manual for Coaching, Team Building, and Mentoring Library Staff (How-To-Do-It Manuals
How can you successfully lead your library through the changes taking place in today's transitional information environment? What skills must you develop or hone in order to build a confident, comfortable, and capable staff in your institution? In their highly practical new How-To-Do-It Manual, authors Robert D. Stuart, the former Dean Emeritus of Simmons College's Graduate School of Library and Information Science and Maureen Sullivan, a leadership expert with over thirty years experience delivering consulting and training services to libraries and other information services, will help you identify the essential concepts and goals behind great leadership, and effectively implement each one into your library's organizational structure. Developing Library Leaders covers key strategies and processes for coaching, team building, and mentoring library staff. Following a foreword from James G. Neal, the authors clearly define the major roles and responsibilities of a library leader and offer valuable techniques for persuading and influencing others, building and leading teams and groups, and managing projects. There is step-by-step guidance for developing crucial coaching and mentoring skills, as well as tips for succession planning and facilitating long-term development. Throughout the book, Stueart and Sullivan provide ample models, outlines, examples, and charts for further guidance and to reinforce the practical use of key strategies. The generations-old adage that 'leaders are born not bred' is a myth; it is now commonly accepted that leadership is a skill that can be developed. Stueart and Sullivan show current and future library directors and managers how to develop their institutions' most valuable asset - their staff - and better prepare them to lead.
- GenresNonfiction
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 20, 2016
Why yes, I AM using my gradschool reading to add to my Goodreads 2016 reading challenge.
July 26, 2013
Read in preparation for the New England Library Leadership Symposium (NELLS).
Chapter One: Leadership for Today's Libraries and Information Services
p. 1 manage things, lead people
leader (defn.): a person who influences others in an identified situation or group to obtain a particular result that will benefit the organization. Such a position does not depend on a title or on some recognition of formal authority.
p. 2-3 hierarchical vs. democratic/collaborative approach, empowerment of team members, cooperation
p. 3 "situational leadership" and "nine-nine" model
p. 4-5 five models/theories: Kouzes & Posner's team leadership (rotating roles); Maslow's need satisfaction; Bennis & Nanus' "transformational leaders" and "Four Is"; Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee's behavioral domains; Bolman & Deal's "Four Frames"
p. 7-8 Some leadership traits inherent, others learned (mentoring, team building, coaching, talent development, succession planning)
"bottom to top" approach
p. 9 "cooperative, comprehensive, continuing effort" between management and individuals - align individuals' goals w/ overall goals of org.
participative mgmt and shared decision-making - focus on mission & vision
p. 10 three Cs: cooperation, collaboration, commitment - participative management approach, distributed leadership
Chapter Two: The Leader's Role and Responsibilities
p. 14 formal (position) and informal (opportunity) leadership
leadership competencies: systems (big picture) thinking, build relationships, manage conflicts, inspire/influence, foster collaboration, deal w/ ambiguity, have self-confidence, empathy & compassion
Three E's qualities: encourage, empower, energize
do things right vs. do the right thing
Library Leadership Network (lln.lyrasis.org)
p. 15 communication ameliorates resistance to change
p. 16 strategic & creative problem solvers
p. 16-18 Techniques in establishing confidence: establishing trust, seeking feedback, developing collaboration & communication, motivating & promoting colleagues, visioning ("future reality seen now")
p. 19 Total Quality Management (TQM): focus on quality service and continuous improvement
p. 20 more C's: committed, compassionate, collaborative, courageous, confident, compromising
"telling, selling, participating, delegating"
p. 20-22 Leadership styles (most-->least conservative): coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic/participative, pace-setting, coaching
p. 25 ethical behavior: aligning a leader's personal values with subsequent actions within the organization
p. 26 bases of ethical decision-making: objectivity, respect, openness, trustworthiness, fairness
self-development: examine strengths/weaknesses; conscious effort to improve areas of character/abilities
p. 27 Leadership Practices Inventory
p. 27-28 Key components for developing visionary leadership: envisioning the future, managing change, listening & learning
p. 28 self-confidence, self-control, compassion (set an example; good communication)
p. 29-30 "Teachable point of view" (4 areas of leadership: ideas, values, edge (readiness to face reality, courage to act), emotional energy)
Chapter Three: Influencing and Persuading Others
p. 33-34 resonant leadership - resonant leaders work in sync with those around them, in tune w/ thoughts and emotions (Boyatzis & McKee); three key components are mindfulness, hope, empathy
p. 34-35 Influence strategies: empowerment, interpersonal awareness, bargaining, relationship building, organizational awareness, common vision, impact management, logical persuasion, coercion
p. 36 "Why should I do it?" Establish credibility, find common ground, provide evidence, connect emotionally (Jay Conger)
p. 37 Stages of persuasion: preparation, presentation, implementation
Chapter Four: Building and Leading Groups and Teams
"It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit." -Robert Yates
p. 39 Katzenbach and Smith: team (defn.): a small # of people w/ complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable"
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, (Adjourning)
p. 40 sidenote: most impt. tool for facilitating group/teamwork is an agenda
-measurable, observable goals
-realistic timeframe
p. 43 key conditions for team development: compelling direction, enabling structure, supportive organizational context, expert coaching
p. 45 round-robin technique (everyone contributes)
p. 47 Guiding consensus decision making: unanimous agreement (rare), majority decision, or consensus (cooperative spirit, mutually acceptable solution through sharing, questioning, testing, clarifying assumptions, learning from others)
p. 48 http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.p...
“compromise by synthesis”
Chapter Five: Project Management
p. 51 PM = a planned, structured approach to design, plan, & implement a project; an organized effort; disciplined approach; short-term, temporary effort
p. 52 four stages: defining project & expected outcomes, planning (ID resources, set timetable), executing/implementing, evaluating & closing
p. 53 Roles & responsibilities: sr. mgmt, dept. mgmt, sponsor, proj. team leader, proj. team members
p. 54 Writing the charter: (obtain approval) scope statement (goals, objectives, deliverables), parameters (quality, cost, time), status reports, team membership
work breakdown structure (WBS), sequence
p. 56 Tools & techniques - WBS, Gantt chart, Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Chapter Six: Coaching: Keys to Successful Leadership
p. 59 “Coaching is an ongoing conversation in which one person, the coach, helps another to improve his or her performance or to solve a problem....an ongoing process of continuous development”
p. 60 skills for effective coaching: active listening, respect & acceptance, open communication, clarify problem, identify options, ask effective questions, identify possible consequences, check perceptions & assumptions, give feedback
coaching is not counseling
p. 62 “most of us think faster than we speak”
“Many managers avoid counseling because it takes time and they want to avoid difficult conversations”
constructive feedback on performance
p. 64 traditional (annual) performance evaluations ineffective; shift from performance feedback to focus on future improvement (“feedforward” -Goldsmith) “feedforward reinforces the possibility of change. It is based on the assumption that people can make positive changes in their performance.”
p. 66 Performance Management System (PMS) (really??) - achieve org. mission, establish org. culture
“the most effective way to develop leadership competence is through trial and error on the job, an action-learning approach”
p. 68 “Numerous studies...have shown that people recall more of what they learn the more actively involved they are in the learning process”
p. 69 Questioning technique - good questions are brief, clear, focused, relevant, constructive, neutral, open-ended. Focus on employee (“What can you do to keep this from happening again?”), both (“Is there something I can do to help?”), or process (“How can we work this out?”)
Chapter Seven: Mentoring
p. 71 mentoring is a learner-focused relationship; ideal outcome is professional and organizational development
p. 72 one-on-one encouragement and advice; formal or informal; benefits mentor, protege, and organization
p. 73-74 staff (org’s most impt. resource) connect in a meaningful way, improving morale and work performance, creating the next generation of leaders. Model, Empathize, Nurture, Teach, Organize, Respond
p.76 Mentors and proteges should agree on purpose, communication, trust, process, feedback
p. 78-79 peer-to-peer and group mentoring: equality & empathy - sharing knowledge base - supportive environment
p. 79 Roles & responsibilities of a mentor: teaching by example, by observation, by repetition; listen & empathize; communicate, advise, encourage
p. 80 key factors for successful relationship: commitment, clarity, communication
importance of goal-setting
p. 82 reverse mentoring “younger professionals” aid “senior members”
p. 84 “One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” -E.M. Forster
Chapter 8: Succession Planning and Development
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers
p. 87 Succession planning (succession management) involves recruitment, training, retention, performance management
“facilitates the inevitable organizational leadership transition” “a systematic process to maintain leadership continuity in key positions”
p. 88 “Succession planning is designed to ensure the continued effective performance of an organization’s staff by making provision for the development and replacement of key persons over time” - identify, assess, develop, retain talent at every level
objective: the right person in the right place at the right time for the right reason - to ensure organization’s successful future
p. 89 traditionally “replacement planning,” SP 1st step is assess current workforce, ID potential
pursue strategies to meet anticipated future needs
how to ID potential candidates “without demoralizing those not chosen”
p. 90 ways to prepare for future leadership: attend leadership training programs, focus on personal development, pursue specific work experiences (add’l responsibilities), pursue hands-on opportunities (supervisory), rotate jobs, shadow soon-to-retire leaders
p. 91 “outline a sequence of personnel moves so that candidates for key positions can be identified in advance of the actual need”
p. 92 ideally strategic rather than reactive, “just in case” instead of “just in time”
p. 93 identify and prepare candidates; develop a feedback system
p. 94 standardized tools to assess competencies (e.g. Leadership Competency Model from Central Michigan University, http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/leader_mod...)
p. 95 Key criteria for an effective program: management expects staff to grow and provides opportunities to do so; organization has a clear vision; systematic approach to ID & nurture talent; open flow of information; diverse workforce; recognition/appreciation of staff; regular feedback; commitment to staff development
Chapter One: Leadership for Today's Libraries and Information Services
p. 1 manage things, lead people
leader (defn.): a person who influences others in an identified situation or group to obtain a particular result that will benefit the organization. Such a position does not depend on a title or on some recognition of formal authority.
p. 2-3 hierarchical vs. democratic/collaborative approach, empowerment of team members, cooperation
p. 3 "situational leadership" and "nine-nine" model
p. 4-5 five models/theories: Kouzes & Posner's team leadership (rotating roles); Maslow's need satisfaction; Bennis & Nanus' "transformational leaders" and "Four Is"; Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee's behavioral domains; Bolman & Deal's "Four Frames"
p. 7-8 Some leadership traits inherent, others learned (mentoring, team building, coaching, talent development, succession planning)
"bottom to top" approach
p. 9 "cooperative, comprehensive, continuing effort" between management and individuals - align individuals' goals w/ overall goals of org.
participative mgmt and shared decision-making - focus on mission & vision
p. 10 three Cs: cooperation, collaboration, commitment - participative management approach, distributed leadership
Chapter Two: The Leader's Role and Responsibilities
p. 14 formal (position) and informal (opportunity) leadership
leadership competencies: systems (big picture) thinking, build relationships, manage conflicts, inspire/influence, foster collaboration, deal w/ ambiguity, have self-confidence, empathy & compassion
Three E's qualities: encourage, empower, energize
do things right vs. do the right thing
Library Leadership Network (lln.lyrasis.org)
p. 15 communication ameliorates resistance to change
p. 16 strategic & creative problem solvers
p. 16-18 Techniques in establishing confidence: establishing trust, seeking feedback, developing collaboration & communication, motivating & promoting colleagues, visioning ("future reality seen now")
p. 19 Total Quality Management (TQM): focus on quality service and continuous improvement
p. 20 more C's: committed, compassionate, collaborative, courageous, confident, compromising
"telling, selling, participating, delegating"
p. 20-22 Leadership styles (most-->least conservative): coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic/participative, pace-setting, coaching
p. 25 ethical behavior: aligning a leader's personal values with subsequent actions within the organization
p. 26 bases of ethical decision-making: objectivity, respect, openness, trustworthiness, fairness
self-development: examine strengths/weaknesses; conscious effort to improve areas of character/abilities
p. 27 Leadership Practices Inventory
p. 27-28 Key components for developing visionary leadership: envisioning the future, managing change, listening & learning
p. 28 self-confidence, self-control, compassion (set an example; good communication)
p. 29-30 "Teachable point of view" (4 areas of leadership: ideas, values, edge (readiness to face reality, courage to act), emotional energy)
Chapter Three: Influencing and Persuading Others
p. 33-34 resonant leadership - resonant leaders work in sync with those around them, in tune w/ thoughts and emotions (Boyatzis & McKee); three key components are mindfulness, hope, empathy
p. 34-35 Influence strategies: empowerment, interpersonal awareness, bargaining, relationship building, organizational awareness, common vision, impact management, logical persuasion, coercion
p. 36 "Why should I do it?" Establish credibility, find common ground, provide evidence, connect emotionally (Jay Conger)
p. 37 Stages of persuasion: preparation, presentation, implementation
Chapter Four: Building and Leading Groups and Teams
"It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit." -Robert Yates
p. 39 Katzenbach and Smith: team (defn.): a small # of people w/ complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable"
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, (Adjourning)
p. 40 sidenote: most impt. tool for facilitating group/teamwork is an agenda
-measurable, observable goals
-realistic timeframe
p. 43 key conditions for team development: compelling direction, enabling structure, supportive organizational context, expert coaching
p. 45 round-robin technique (everyone contributes)
p. 47 Guiding consensus decision making: unanimous agreement (rare), majority decision, or consensus (cooperative spirit, mutually acceptable solution through sharing, questioning, testing, clarifying assumptions, learning from others)
p. 48 http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.p...
“compromise by synthesis”
Chapter Five: Project Management
p. 51 PM = a planned, structured approach to design, plan, & implement a project; an organized effort; disciplined approach; short-term, temporary effort
p. 52 four stages: defining project & expected outcomes, planning (ID resources, set timetable), executing/implementing, evaluating & closing
p. 53 Roles & responsibilities: sr. mgmt, dept. mgmt, sponsor, proj. team leader, proj. team members
p. 54 Writing the charter: (obtain approval) scope statement (goals, objectives, deliverables), parameters (quality, cost, time), status reports, team membership
work breakdown structure (WBS), sequence
p. 56 Tools & techniques - WBS, Gantt chart, Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Chapter Six: Coaching: Keys to Successful Leadership
p. 59 “Coaching is an ongoing conversation in which one person, the coach, helps another to improve his or her performance or to solve a problem....an ongoing process of continuous development”
p. 60 skills for effective coaching: active listening, respect & acceptance, open communication, clarify problem, identify options, ask effective questions, identify possible consequences, check perceptions & assumptions, give feedback
coaching is not counseling
p. 62 “most of us think faster than we speak”
“Many managers avoid counseling because it takes time and they want to avoid difficult conversations”
constructive feedback on performance
p. 64 traditional (annual) performance evaluations ineffective; shift from performance feedback to focus on future improvement (“feedforward” -Goldsmith) “feedforward reinforces the possibility of change. It is based on the assumption that people can make positive changes in their performance.”
p. 66 Performance Management System (PMS) (really??) - achieve org. mission, establish org. culture
“the most effective way to develop leadership competence is through trial and error on the job, an action-learning approach”
p. 68 “Numerous studies...have shown that people recall more of what they learn the more actively involved they are in the learning process”
p. 69 Questioning technique - good questions are brief, clear, focused, relevant, constructive, neutral, open-ended. Focus on employee (“What can you do to keep this from happening again?”), both (“Is there something I can do to help?”), or process (“How can we work this out?”)
Chapter Seven: Mentoring
p. 71 mentoring is a learner-focused relationship; ideal outcome is professional and organizational development
p. 72 one-on-one encouragement and advice; formal or informal; benefits mentor, protege, and organization
p. 73-74 staff (org’s most impt. resource) connect in a meaningful way, improving morale and work performance, creating the next generation of leaders. Model, Empathize, Nurture, Teach, Organize, Respond
p.76 Mentors and proteges should agree on purpose, communication, trust, process, feedback
p. 78-79 peer-to-peer and group mentoring: equality & empathy - sharing knowledge base - supportive environment
p. 79 Roles & responsibilities of a mentor: teaching by example, by observation, by repetition; listen & empathize; communicate, advise, encourage
p. 80 key factors for successful relationship: commitment, clarity, communication
importance of goal-setting
p. 82 reverse mentoring “younger professionals” aid “senior members”
p. 84 “One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” -E.M. Forster
Chapter 8: Succession Planning and Development
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers
p. 87 Succession planning (succession management) involves recruitment, training, retention, performance management
“facilitates the inevitable organizational leadership transition” “a systematic process to maintain leadership continuity in key positions”
p. 88 “Succession planning is designed to ensure the continued effective performance of an organization’s staff by making provision for the development and replacement of key persons over time” - identify, assess, develop, retain talent at every level
objective: the right person in the right place at the right time for the right reason - to ensure organization’s successful future
p. 89 traditionally “replacement planning,” SP 1st step is assess current workforce, ID potential
pursue strategies to meet anticipated future needs
how to ID potential candidates “without demoralizing those not chosen”
p. 90 ways to prepare for future leadership: attend leadership training programs, focus on personal development, pursue specific work experiences (add’l responsibilities), pursue hands-on opportunities (supervisory), rotate jobs, shadow soon-to-retire leaders
p. 91 “outline a sequence of personnel moves so that candidates for key positions can be identified in advance of the actual need”
p. 92 ideally strategic rather than reactive, “just in case” instead of “just in time”
p. 93 identify and prepare candidates; develop a feedback system
p. 94 standardized tools to assess competencies (e.g. Leadership Competency Model from Central Michigan University, http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/leader_mod...)
p. 95 Key criteria for an effective program: management expects staff to grow and provides opportunities to do so; organization has a clear vision; systematic approach to ID & nurture talent; open flow of information; diverse workforce; recognition/appreciation of staff; regular feedback; commitment to staff development
June 14, 2018
Provides a good overview of the crucial leadership topics (succession planning, mentoring, etc.) and a list of additional resources that can be consulted. Each chapter begins with a quote that is apropos. The book advocates for a more participative management style (rather than hierarchical). It would benefit from more examples drawn from real life (sometimes it's a little abstract) and the language and structure of the book are pretty formal and dry.
July 2, 2018
Just the kind of nerdy library book a library leader should read! Recommendations and resources for leadership self-assessment and organizational succession planning were particularly relevant for me.
March 20, 2015
This book is alright. The premise is good and there are some good things to think about. On the whole, it's much too repetitive. However, I have only two main criticisms of this book:
1. For two people with such extensive backgrounds in library leadership, I felt that the authors borrowed too much from other authors and leaders. Stueart & Sullivan's only original content was in the preface and afterword.
2. Some of these chapters make me think that the authors have never worked in a library. For example, the project management chapter doesn't talk about assessing the project after its completed, nor does it talk about recurring projects. In the succession planning chapter, the authors make it sound as if it's easy for leaders to rotate in and out of an organization without so much as a search committee or external process. This chapter was well-intentioned but a bit unrealistic.
1. For two people with such extensive backgrounds in library leadership, I felt that the authors borrowed too much from other authors and leaders. Stueart & Sullivan's only original content was in the preface and afterword.
2. Some of these chapters make me think that the authors have never worked in a library. For example, the project management chapter doesn't talk about assessing the project after its completed, nor does it talk about recurring projects. In the succession planning chapter, the authors make it sound as if it's easy for leaders to rotate in and out of an organization without so much as a search committee or external process. This chapter was well-intentioned but a bit unrealistic.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews