ET - Government and Professions
Bell, S. (n.d.). Good Leaders Learn What Not to Do - Leading From the Library. Library Journal. Retrieved May 20, 2016, from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/opinion/leading-from-the-library/good-leaders-learn-what-not-to-do-leading-from-the-library
Summary/Evaluation
Leadership in
the Academic Library Profession: Evaluation and Assessment
of Leadership
In the article, “Good
Leaders Learn What Not to Do”, Steven Bell mentions how Kouzes and Posner are
responsible for the “ten truths of leadership” and how valuable an asset this
information is to the working professional, but voices his opinion on the
importance of learning what leaders should not do in the workplace as well. [2]
Truth 1: You
Make a Difference
Truth 2:
Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership
Truth 3: Values
Drive Commitment
Truth 4:
Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart
Truth 5: You
Can’t Do It Alone
Truth 6: Trust
Rules
Truth 7:
Challenge Is the Crucible of Greatness
Truth 8: You
Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All
Truth 9: The
Best Leaders Are the Best Learners
Truth 10:
Leadership Is an Affair of the Heart
The ten truths
listed above are from Kouzes and Posner’s book, The Truth about Leadership, which each concept is featured in it’s
own chapter. [1]
Steven Bell
believes that by identifying the presence of ineffective leadership in
libraries, this approach could also prove to be just as valuable to the overall
success of professional leadership. Throughout this article, he refers to the
effectiveness of how not to lead and
focuses on another article written by Steve Staninger titled “Identifying the
Presence of Ineffective Leadership in Libraries”. Staninger mentions the
inability of leaders to treat their employees, as they would want to be treated
themselves. Other instances of ineffective leadership include moral
disengagement and micromanagement. When these instances arise within the
workplace, the negativity can lead to damage of employee morale as well as
fundamental damage to the organization itself. [2]
Although
leadership can be expressed in many facets, academic librarianship possesses a
need to conduct it in a highly professional manner, while working with internal
as well as external stakeholders, such as librarians; library staff;
administrators; students; faculty; non-library administrators and staff. [2]
I truly believe
that all individuals placed within a leader/management role should possess a
certain type of skillset and quality, which would allow them to be a positive
role model as well as leader in the workplace. Staninger describes that
ineffective leaders have a disregard for the importance and value that
represents institutional culture by neglecting the consultation of employees
who could be beneficial in the overall decision-making process in creating a
better workplace. I also believe that there is truth to this theory. As an
effective leader, he/she has to maintain a certain quality in order to achieve
greatness. True leaders aspire to make a difference and when mistakes are made,
they learn from them allowing themselves room for growth and wisdom when
bestowing their knowledge onto others. True leaders also allow their employees
the credit deserved when making a positive impact on the organization by
acknowledgement and recognition.
As Steven Bell
describes in his article, I too believe that it is always a better practice of
knowing all aspects of management and leadership, even when it comes to
researching the ways in which a leader could be ineffective in order to learn
and determine which concepts and behaviors to avoid.
Additional Sources:
1. McKinney, M.
(n.d.). Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog: Ten Truths about Leadership. Leading
Blog: A Leadership Blog: Ten Truths about Leadership. Retrieved May 20, 2016,
from http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2010/08/ten_truths_about_leadership.html
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