Leadership | Librarians | Professional development | Continuing education

by Steven Bell | October 26, 2017

Telling library leaders that leadership is a constant process of learning is good advice but of minimal help to busy leaders with little time for learning, whether formal or informal. That is why a commitment to a growth mindset may be a leader’s best strategy for continuous improvement.

A foundational premise of Leading From the Library is that good leadership results from a commitment to constant learning. Whether you think leaders are born or made, the job involves a degree of complexity that requires constant attention to progress and adaptation to a rapidly changing workplace. This column has explored multiple vehicles for leadership education, from leadership development programs to studying lessons of great (and flawed) leaders. I hope that Leading From the Library is one of your go-to resources for learning about leadership, but there are dozens of good leadership blogs, newsletters, and Twitter feeds at your disposal. That there are so many good but competing resources points to the big challenge: Where do leaders find the time to develop their leadership skills and how do they develop a smart strategy for keeping up, one that allows for maximum learning in minimal time? The best are able to rigorously motivate themselves to pursue continuous learning despite time and distraction obstacles. Read more…