Leaders: Born or Bred

Librarians are concerned about the state of leadership in the profession. As the profession ages, younger librarians face difficult choices between new kinds of information careers and traditional librarianship. It is essential that the field establishes ways for these young innovators to discover and fulfill their career potential. During the last decade new institutes and seminars have been developed to foster and strengthen these leadership skills. There is some contention over whether or not they are effective.

I am one of the growing cadre of graduates of these programs. The focused instruction I received has been invaluable for my personal professional growth. It is equally invaluable to the health of librarianship as a whole.

The three distinct types of leadership training in which I participated were the state of Ohio's own Library Leadership 2000 (LL2000) in 1993 (now Library Leadership Ohio); the internationally recognized Snowbird Leadership Institute the following year; and a local program called Leadership Medina County (LMC) in 1997–98. Each program has a distinct purpose, but all aim to prepare participants for leadership roles in their communities.

There is no concrete evidence to prove that these institutes are successful in developing leaders. The more important question is whether a student's participation benefits his or her organization. I can testify that the impact of my participation on the libraries where I have worked and on my own career is resounding.

There are many definitions of leadership and views of what it means in practice. To me leadership is an attitude; it is not about a position. A leader can achieve defined goals by knowing what he or she wants to do, why it is important, and how to articulate those ideas to others to get the assistance and collaboration necessary to implement that change.

I had goals when I graduated from Kent State with my MLS. One goal was to become a young adult librarian. Teen library services are my passion—the reason I became a librarian. My other goal was to become a library director. When Michael G. Garrison, director of the Rocky River Public Library in Ohio, hired me as YA librarian, I fulfilled my first goal. When I was hired as director of the Wadsworth Public Library in 1997, I fulfilled the other. On the relatively straight road to Wadsworth, I took those important side trips to LL2000 and Snowbird. Without them I might still be waiting to become a library director.

I had no idea what to expect from LL2000. I was 27, working at a member of the library cooperative that developed the institute. Garrison encouraged me and because of that and my own strong commitment to professional development and involvement, I applied. I expected, at least, to learn enough to make the week away from home worthwhile. I learned about Snowbird at LL2000. The facilitators there, John Shannon and Becky Schreiber of Schreiber and Shannon Associates, were also facilitators for Snowbird. After LL2000, I wanted to relive the experience. The next year the Ohio Library Council nominated me to attend Snowbird after I received Ohio's "young librarian of the year award." Three years later, when I started at the Wadsworth PL, the Board of Trustees agreed that my participation in LMC would benefit the library and me. It was a great way to get acquainted with my new community.

People have mixed reactions to leadership seminars. Some think they are self-serving elitist clubs. Others feel they provide opportunities for librarians to develop leadership skills they might not be able to acquire on their own. The real question is: Can people be taught leadership?

Shannon and Schreiber believe they can assist the process. Their programs are formed around small and large group discussion and team activities. They are not academic processes. However, the "collegial exchange" they promote is a significant part of Snowbird and LL2000. "We specifically selected the small group/mentor model for our institutes," says Schreiber. "We've found that participants are more willing to accept risks and open up with strangers in this type of environment. They won't do that with the people with whom they work every day." There is a greater willingness to listen in small groups.

Both programs begin with the participants exploring their personality styles in order to gain insight into their behaviors. This is followed by exercises and small group work involving visioning, critical professional issues, risk-taking, and change management.

Nancy Tessman, director of Salt Lake City PL, says that J. Dennis Day, the Snowbird founder, "wanted a simple, genuine, honest exchange of experiences and perspectives managed without laborious administration or hierarchy. He trusted that the ideas and inspiration could come from a variety of sources and that the program would evolve and change as needed, but that the fundamental skills and talents could be both learned and inspired through collegial exchange."

That collegial exchange continues in the form of strong networks that support each participant. We meet at conferences, and each institute has an electronic list. I manage the LL2000 version.

"The network that developed within our class is incredible," says LL2000 classmate Gayle Patton. "I don't think twice about picking up the phone to consult a classmate. We don't need to see one another regularly, but when we do…." Her comments echo my feelings. I call our group the "huggers" because of our enthusiasm when we see each other. I have used this group for career advice, problem-solving, and more.

The opportunity to work with mentors is one of the most valuable aspects of LL2000 and Snowbird. The mentors serve as teachers, counselors, advisors, and even surrogate parents.

Former Snowbird mentor Jane Robbins, dean of the School of Information Studies at Florida State University, Tallahassee, believes the opportunity to meet and know the "big names" of the field who often serve as mentors provides the type of experience that helps participants conceive of themselves as leaders. It liberates the concept of leadership within oneself and sends one down the road toward risk-taking and the development of other leadership attributes. Mary Stansbury, assistant professor at Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science, OH, was a library educator-to-be when she attended. She asserts that having your strengths and weaknesses identified and assessed by an experienced mentor is a crucial part of the week. I agree.

Former Illinois State Library Director Bridget Lamont, another mentor at Snowbird, had seen my style of leadership in others. She told me not to be afraid to lead. She didn't accept my preference for the quiet approach to leadership, working side by side with colleagues toward a goal. Lamont said people seek out leaders, and if I planned to be one, I should let myself be singled out when necessary.

Besides the direct advice, just being in the room with people I had read about, heard about at conferences, and learned about in library school was awe-inspiring. Their presence and their belief that we were capable of being leaders encouraged us to take up the challenge. Hardy Franklin, a mentor and immediate past-president of the American Library Association (ALA), fueled my passion for teen library services and strongly encouraged me to become involved in ALA.

The mentoring often reaches beyond the institutes. Future ALA President Sarah Long led a strong contingent of nationally known mentors to Ohio for LL2000. She urged me to participate in ALA, and later appointed me to the Committee on Accreditation (COA). I am now in my final year on COA, and it has rewarded me in many ways.

To be a leader requires a strong sense of self. You must understand who you are to assess how to fulfill your definition of leadership. Schrieber and Shannon helped me gain some insight by applying the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to my personality. I'm an ESFJ, which means I'm an extrovert who trusts in the senses and subjective feelings of people to organize and plan an approach to life and work. Once I knew this I was better able to understand how I react to situations, approach problems, and interact with others. LL2000 and Snowbird helped me develop this understanding. The Myers-Briggs definition was only the first exercise in self-examination at each institute.

At Snowbird, I confronted very personal issues and focused on developing skills associated with problem-solving and managing change. Among the challenges I faced were questions about the responsibility of power and influence. I wondered about my approach with others, whether I tended to be too forceful or potentially disrespectful in my response to reactions to change from colleagues. I confided heart-wrenching doubts. The clarity I gained resonates in my day-to-day actions even now. I came home better prepared to deal with work and life.

While I am always learning and refining my interactions, the leadership principles I learned gave me a foundation of five key ideas: pay personal attention to others; keep people well informed; set an example of hard work and follow-through; maintain a strong moral, ethical, and religious balance; and foster a sense of family.

Distinct from the national seminars, community leadership programs like Leadership Medina County focus on educating and preparing local citizens from various professions for service in their hometown, county, or region.

Each LMC class meets one day a month over a nine-month period, after an initial two-day retreat to foster a collegial atmosphere among the classmates. Each monthly meeting is hosted by leadership alumni. They focus on specific themes such as government, social services, and quality of life. LMC does not use mentors. Lucy P. Sondles, executive director of LMC, also serves as a public library trustee. She doesn't set specific goals for participants. Instead, students are selected because they have the history of community involvement, local business ownership, or nonprofit organizational background, etc., necessary to becoming a county leader. She believes most leaders are shaped by their past experiences, and the program attempts to provide experiences to facilitate the process. Sondles can identify those who will make an impact on the community. "The students who make the most out of their leadership experience are those who are self-motivated and understand that it is 'their turn to do something,'" she says.

Early research on the effect of these institutes yields little insight into their impact. A 1998 study by Teresa Y. Neely and Mark D. Winston found that alumni of Snowbird publish more, make more presentations, and participate in more conferences outside their own field than they did before attending. This study, however, recognizes that these contributions could also be a part of normal career progress. I have no doubt that these institutes can have direct, positive impact on the libraries where participants work. Ohio libraries would be very different if the 1993 class hadn't convened at LL2000. As Schreiber says, "That leadership group basically took over the state association following their week together."

This amazes Millie Fry, the founder of the program. "My hope was that LL2000 would be the 'catalyst' to encourage some of the grads to step up to leadership positions, at any level, when the opportunity presented itself. To my surprise, many graduates did not wait but created an opportunity. That is truly a sign of a leader. I was hoping that graduates would become local leaders, but they have accepted the challenge of a bigger role on the statewide level. That is awesome for me to watch."

Several LL2000 alumni served on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Library Council, and I was elected president of the Ohio Library Association. The group is still active today. I believe many will look back on this as Ohio's golden age of public libraries. It was a time of increasing state support for libraries and many cooperative ventures that equalized access and increased services. The legacy of libraries for this era will long be remembered, and the leadership that made it possible will not be forgotten.

LL2000 is not completely responsible for the success in Ohio, but the contribution of the graduates can't be ignored. Not only has this LL2000 class led on a statewide basis, but they have done so in individual libraries as well. Ohio has 250 public libraries. According to Lynda Murray and Wayne Piper, co-interim executive directors of the Ohio Library Council, in recent years the number of new directors has fluctuated, but it is not unusual that ten percent of the libraries have a new director in any given year. At least six of those new directors in recent years have been graduates of the first leadership class.

Two major factors influenced this class: the cadre of mentors and the development of a shared vision statement for an improved Ohio library community. This statement provides an anchor for my personal vision, and I refer to and update it even today. It also provided the rallying cry that galvanized our future efforts as a group.

Impact can also be measured in other, more personal ways. LMC alumna Janet Welch, marketing and PR coordinator for Wadsworth PL, says that she successfully sought a seat on the Board of Directors for Medina County Hospice as a result of her class experiences. It provided the validation she needed to step up as a community leader. Participating in the program has also provided an icebreaker when meeting people at community events.

From a library administrator's point of view, Welch's last discovery is an important result of the program. An employee's ability to network while working with others on a community project provides opportunities for outreach and a tremendous boost for library recognition and goodwill. The value of that cannot be overstated.

Each level of leadership training has had invaluable impact on me. The local program provided significant knowledge about the environment in which I work, especially local politics. It also allowed me to meet the movers and shakers of my community and to promote the library to its stakeholders. I'm certain that my involvement within the community, along with that of other LMC alumni on the library staff, helped us secure both a bond issue for the expansion and renovation of the library in 2000 and a permanent increase in our operating tax levy this past May.

Would I have been as successful without attending Snowbird, LL2000, and LMC? I might have muddled through. I would not have had the polished vision for my involvement in the profession, the insight gained from participating with other "young leaders," and a solid network of mentors and colleagues. Would I go back and begin my career again, this time without the leadership experiences? I don't think so.