Running head: Leadership and Management Treatise 1

Leadership and Management Treatise

Germaine Hawkins

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Dr. Anthony Chow, Professor

 Leadership and Management Treatise 2

Leadership and Management Treatise

Table of Contents

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL MODEL........................................................................................................... 3

LEADERSHIP MISSION...............................................................................................................................................................3

LEADERSHIP VALUES.............................................................................................................................................................3

TALENTS AND PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN...................................................................5

VISION FOR AN IDEAL LIBRARY.............................................................................................................................. 6

EXAMPLE BUDGET.................................................................................................................................................................7

ROLE AND VALUE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.........................................................................................................................7

ROLE AND VALUE OF A NEEDS ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................................7

ROLE OF QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES..............................................................................8

TOP FIVE QUESTIONS................................................................................................................................................ 8

DEVELOPING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF BEST ETHICAL PRACTICES FOR LIBRARIANS....................................................8

FEELING COMFORTABLE WITH MY OWN PERSONAL MANAGEMENT STYLE..........................................................................9

MAKING SURE THAT I HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF MANAGEMENT MISTAKES...........................................................................9

DEVELOPING A CLIENT CENTERED AND EMPLOYEE CENTERED ENVIRONMENT..................................................................10

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CREATE A MEANINGFUL USER EXPERIENCE..............................................................................11

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL..................................................12

REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................................. 13
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Leadership and Management Treatise

Leadership and Professional Model

Leadership Mission

“Transforming lives by providing information and literacy to diverse communities” is

the philosophy that shapes my daily life as an aspiring Librarian. Providing meaningful,

relevant information in a comfortable, welcoming setting is an effective way to provide

reading literacy, lifelong learning, and resources to patrons. Regardless of their regional

location or their racial, social-economic, or educational backgrounds, all patrons should be

given the opportunity to enhance the quality of their lives. Having been an educator for

many years, I believe in equity in opportunity and differentiation in the delivery of services

based on individual needs. With this in mind, I plan to continue to incorporate this

philosophy as I serve the needs of the larger community in public libraries. I believe that

information is transformational in many ways, and that diversity should be respected by

tailoring the delivery of information to the individual needs of all patrons.

Leadership Values

1. Equity

As I mentioned in the paragraph above, I believe that all patrons should have the

opportunity to receive information that will enhance the quality of their lives. No patron

should be turned away based on race, sex, religious background, or sexual orientation, or

socioeconomic status. While everyone who walks into a library should have the opportunity

to have their needs met to have service provided to them, the needs of those patrons need to

be assessed on an individual level. Patrons who are physically challenged should not be
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expected to perform the same tasks as those who are not. Patrons who struggle with

technology should not be expected to operate devices which have complicated processes and

procedures. The literacy skills that are taught by librarians should be differentiated to meet

the needs of the patrons.

2. Dignity

Having been a school counselor, I have been trained over the years to approach

people with caution, compassion, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. Some of the

skills that I have learned have been valuable and useful to me in the workplace as well as in

my social life, and they have shaped the values that I will take with me into the library

profession. As an aspiring library leader, I believe that employees and patrons should all be

treated with dignity and respect. No employee or patron, regardless of competence or skill

level, should be degraded, embarrassed, exploited or treated with any level of disrespect.

Through the teachings of this course, I have learned of different leadership styles and

have been able to become comfortable with my way of approaching the way that an

organization should be run. I perceive myself to be a resonant leader as opposed to a

dissonant leader, and a coaching leader as opposed to a commanding leader. My philosophy

is that when people are approached with respect, they will respond with loyalty, gratitude,

and compliance.

3. Allowing each employee to use talents to experience success

In the same way that librarians should respect the diversity of the needs of the

patrons, library leaders also benefit from giving employees an opportunity to use the talents

that they are most comfortable with. While everyone has skills that they need to develop,

some are stronger in some areas than in others. Allowing employees to serve patrons by

utilizing their talents benefits the library and also contributes to their overall happiness.
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Encouraging employees to develop their undeveloped talents as opposed to berating them is

also an approach that I find to be effective.

Talents and Personal/Professional Development Plan

Within the next 15 years, I would like to be in a leadership position in a public library

setting which would allow me to build programs which serve the needs of underrepresented

communities. Using the knowledge that I have learned from this course, I would like to be

in able to conduct needs assessments, interpret data, develop and manage budgets, and

develop strategic plans which would allow me to build, carry out, and monitor programs.

The talents that I have developed which would enable me to do this are recognizing

the talents and strengths of others and conflict resolution. My training and continued

professional development as a school counselor have enabled me to recognize the attributes

that students have, how to allow students to develop their talents, and how to encourage them

to pursue academically rigorous programs of study to develop their interests and talents. This

strength is transferable to my profession as a librarian as it will allow me to encourage other

librarians and patrons to seek the literacy skills which will allow them to transform their

lives. I have also facilitated many conflicts within the public school system between parents

and teachers, students, and members of my department. This is a talent that I have developed

over the years with practice which will enhance my career as a public librarian as well. As a

leader and manager, I will be able to utilize these skills and talents to not only assist patrons

to improve the quality of their lives, but to foster a healthy environment and a culture for

growth and opportunity in the library that I manage.

Over the next two years, I plan to learn as much as I can about libraries by taking

courses that will help me to improve my technological skills, learning about cataloging and
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metadata, and engaging with my classmates and professors so that I can educate myself about

becoming a librarian. I will also continue my membership with the American Library

Association, network and collaborate with other library professionals, attend conferences,

and gain work experience in local libraries.

Professional Resume – Submitted as separate document

Professional Cover Letter – Submitted as separate document

Vision for an Ideal Library

An ideal library is one that makes an investment in employees who are trained,

valued, and encouraged to do the things that they love to do when they come to work. Their

salaries reflect the value and worth of their work, and their job responsibilities reflect their

areas of expertise. A budget that is well prepared and managed is always an important

element of an ideal library, and the resources meet the needs of the community. Most

importantly, all of the facets of the library are strategically designed to provide meaningful,

relevant, and joyful experiences for all patrons. Joyful experiences exceed the expectations

of providing simple, mundane trips to the library that do not add pleasant memories and

experiences to people’s lives. In my opinion, an ideal library serves as a community hub for

people to gather to share pleasant experiences, learn from each other, and enhance the quality

of their lives.

Example Budget – submitted as separate document

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Role and Value of Strategic Planning

According to Chow and Bucknall, strategic plan includes “a mission statement, a

vision statement, organizational values, core competencies, and priority goals and

objectives”. (Chow and Bucknall, 2012, p. 21). The mission statement and vision statements

provide direction for the organization. They state what the organization is doing on a day to

day basis and what the visions are for the future. The strategic plan is important because it

includes a budget, goals, objectives, strategies for achieving goals, and expected outcomes of

the goals. The reason that the strategic plan serves such a critical role in the development of

the daily activities of a library is because it is a proactive plan which explains how the library

is going to meet the needs of the patrons in the community. The strategic plan is valuable

because it also serves as an advocacy tool which can be presented to County Commissioners,

Boards of Directors, private funding sources and other supporters to gather financial support

for the library’s programs. It also outlines expectations for employees, volunteers, and

defines the services that will be provided to patrons.

Role and Value of a Needs Assessment

The significance of the needs assessment is that it collects data which supports the

needs of the programs and services offered by the library. The data can be collected from

groups, patrons, constituents, and other stakeholders. The data can be both qualitative and

quantitative. By collecting data which supports the needs of the population that the library

serves, the information collected can substantiate the need for programs and services and

evaluate the services rendered. The data collected from needs assessments determines the

need for staffing, computers, facilities, and provides feedback on how the leaders of the

library can improve the way that users experience the library. According to Cheryl Stenstrom
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in her article “Demonstrating Value: Assessment”, the needs assessment should be evaluated

based on who it is being presented to. (Stenstrom, 2015). According to her, presentation is

everything and the results should be tailored to impress the committee that it’s being

presented to.

Role of Quality Control and Quality Management Principles

Quality control and quality management practices are important because the quality

of services is more important than the quantity. Quality control serves as monitoring process

to make sure that patrons and employees don’t have bad experiences, and allows managers to

be proactive. It provides a way for leaders and managers to assess and evaluate how well

equipment, services, personnel, and other resources are serving the needs of the library. For

example, if equipment needs to be replaced before it breaks, leaders need to make sure that

this is done so that patrons and employees don’t have a lapse in service delivery.

Top Five Questions

Developing a Clear Understanding of Best Ethical Practices for Librarians

In order to learn about the best ethical practices for librarians, I decided to join the

American Library Association and read about what the ethical practices were. The list of

ethical standards for librarians is clearly defined. As librarians must respect the rights and

privacy of patrons, make distinctions between our personal values and the values of patrons,

treat co-workers with respect, and develop ourselves professionally. (ALA, 2008).

While these rules are very clear, there are always slippery slopes and reasons to

deviate from the book of rules. If someone’s life is in danger or if there is a threat to the

safety and wellbeing of anyone, the rules have to be compromised.

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Learning about the Dr. Tony Alessandra’s Platinum Rule, which urges us to “Do unto

others as they’d like done unto them” (Alessandra, 1999) inspired me to revisit the way that I

interact with people ethically. My values, my preferences, and my habits and experiences

may not be the same as the person that I’m interacting with. I have to be mindful of the way

that I respect the preferences of others.

Feeling Comfortable with My Own Personal Management Style

After engaging in our class lecture on strategic planning and leadership styles, I found

that my leadership styles are Visionary, Coaching, and Democratic. Visionary leaders move

people toward shared goals, coaching leaders connect individuals with organizations, and

democratic leaders receive input from people. (Goleman, 2004).

Visionary leadership requires reflective thoughts of one individual, but collaboration

with others about a vision always helps. People generally don’t like to be told what to do and

like to have their voices heard. A democratic process of providing input into processes in

procedures seems to be a logical way of getting people to buy into a new process.

I have found that my background in school counseling has helped me to develop my

coaching leadership style. I believe that if people feel comfortable in an organization and

believe that their voices are being heard, they will perform well and remain productive.

Making Sure that I Have A Knowledge of Management Mistakes

After reading the “Measuring Stick” chapter in First Break All the Rules by

Buckingham and Coffman, I feel that leaders and managers should make an effort to invest in

the wellbeing of their employees. (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999). If employees are not

vested in the belief that they can answer “Yes” to at least half of the 12 questions, they will

not be motivated to do their best for the organization. This can create a domino effect which
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has an impact on productivity, attendance, and overall morale. Effective leaders do not make

the mistake of taking their employees for granted.

Failing to implement quality control is another major mistake that leaders make in the

library profession. A library’s reputation could rapidly plummet if the equipment and

facilities are not routinely monitored, maintained, and upgraded.

As the semester progressed, I reflected on experiences which helped me to understand

major mistakes that managers and leaders can make if they are not careful. While working

on a group project, I learned that mediocre communication, failure to meet deadlines, and

poor time management can affect the overall productivity of a library and can also cast a poor

image of a library on to the public. These are mistakes that library leaders must avoid.

Developing a Client Centered and Employee Centered Environment

Creating an employee centered environment is rooted in the FBAR 12 questions.

Questions two, three, four, seven, eight, and nine are the questions which resonated with me

the most. (Buckingham and Coffman, p.28). While me may not always have the best

personal relationships with each other at work, we all need to have all of the equipment and

communication that we need to get our jobs done. We also need positive feedback from time

to time so that we will not feel emotionally and physically drained. We also need to know

that our co-workers are committed to pulling their weight within the organization.

While working on my group project this semester, I learned that while the work

environment has its ups and downs, we have to realize that no leader is going to be perfect. I

enjoyed working with my classmates and relying on them for information and support. I also

enjoyed the process of having each person contribute their own talents to the project.

Buckingham and Coffman advise us to “Focus on each person’s strengths and manage around
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his weaknesses. Don’t try to fix the weaknesses. Instead do everything you can to help each

person cultivate his talents”. (Buckingham and Coffman, p.141.). This concept was very

practical during the process of getting our project done, as each person had their own unique

talents. One person had strong technology skills, another had excellent writing skills, and

another had strong communication skills. While I never really noticed how important that

this is important in the workplace, I now understand the value of having each person

contribute his or her own individual talents to benefit the overall success of the organization.

Understanding How to Create a Meaningful User Experience

During the first few weeks of this semester, I interviewed an Adult Services Librarian

and prepared a presentation on the things that she taught. As I talked with her, I had an

opportunity to listen to her reflections on what creates a meaningful user experience. While

the process of managing programs can be hectic, she advised me as an aspiring librarian to

step back and reflect on what is working in the library, what isn’t working, and how to

improve the services that are being delivered. Evaluating the programs that work, the ones

that don’t work, and making recommendations for improvement are ways that she makes

sure that patrons are happy.

While this is the process for creating a good user experience, the “Library technology

infrastructures and user services” in the book Library Technology and User Services gave me

a wakeup call about the things that managers and leaders need to know when they’re making

sure that libraries run smoothly for patrons. The library leader should have a fundamental

understanding of a library’s network. This means having a fundamental understanding of

local area networks, servers, switches, routers, hubs, and wireless access points. (Chow and

Buchnall, 2012).
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Final Thoughts About Leadership and Management Potential

This course thoroughly covered every concept that I need to understand how to

develop myself as leader. I will not summarize all of them, but emotional intelligence

resonates as the one that I will need to apply in all of my daily endeavors as a library leader.

Being able to have difficult conversations, interact with others effectively, and balance my

personal and professional lives will have an impact on my ability to lead and manage a

library. Within the next 2 years, I hope to become the type of leader who leads by example

and garners trust and respect. By using the skills that I have already learned over the years,

the teachings of this course, and the lessons that I will continue to learn though observation, I

hope to accomplish this goal.

References

Alessandra, T. & O’Conner, M.S. (1998). The Platinum Rule: Discover the four basic

business personalities and how they can lead you to success. New York, NY: Warner

Business Books.
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Blanchard, K. H. & Bowles, S. M. (1998). Raving Fans: A revolutionary approach to

customer service. London: Harper Collins.

Buckinghan, M. & Coffman, C. (1999). First, break all the rules: What the world’s greatest

managers do differently. New Your, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Chow, A. S., & Bucknall, T. (2012). Library technology and user services: Planning,

integration, and usability engineering. Oxford, UK: Chandos Pub.

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. (2008, January 22). Retrieved from

www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics.

Goleman, D., Boyatizis, R.; & McKee, A., Primal Leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard

Business Review Press, 2004.

Porter, B. (2010). Managing with emotional intelligence. Library leadership and

management, 24/4, 199-201.

Stenstroem, Cheryl. (2015). Demonstrating Value: Assessment. Sandra Hirsh (Eds.).

Information Services Today (p. 271-279). Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.