The VICTORY Model for Successful Leadership

By Nancy Bolt, Nancy Bolt & AssociatesFor Mortenson Center for International Library Programs October, 2005

What we will do today

What are the characteristics of Leadership?

How do these apply to national libraries and national library associations?

Leadership in these organizations

What is Leadership

POSITIONAL?

BORN or BRED?

INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM BASED?

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS

VISION

INVESTIGATION

COMMUNICATION

TEAMWORK

DECISIVENESS

RESILIENT

VISION

What is the vision of success?

How is success defined?For the organizationFor the user

UseImpact

INVESTIGATION

Getting input From staff From users

Listen Find out what might go wrong Data Does vision need to be changed or just the

methodology?

COMMUNICATE

“The essence of leadership is the communication of commitment.” Charlie Robinson, former director of the Baltimore County Public Library

Getting buy-in from staff so they accept the vision as their own and merge self-interest with organization and user interest

Trust -- Seek information and respond to it

Set the boundaries for action

Motivate and Influence

DECISIVENESS

Plan strategies

Make a decision

Courage (not absence of fear but willingness to go on in spite of fear)

Be willing to take calculated risks

TEAMWORK

Establish an atmosphere of teamwork

Develop teams and leadership Build competence and confidence Leaders must re-evaluate the practice of solving

problems for others and be willing to learn with their staffs

Teach people to solve problems

Make decision process clear

RESILIENT

Evaluate actions toward vision

Rebound from failure“The adaptive leader must be able to model risking new

behavior and learn alongside everyone who is involved in the change effort. This is a vulnerability many leaders resist.” Susan DeGenring

Support continuous growth even in the face of failure

Responsibility for what happens

Be flexible in considering new ideas

LEADERSHIP BY ORGANIZATIONS

Who are the leadership organizations in your country? National Library? National Library Association? Large libraries?

Role of the National Library Association

Advocacy For a role of libraries in a democracy For equal right to information for all citizens For literacy For funding

Publicity Campaigns such as @ your library National Library Week Summer Reading Programs

Training Conferences Workshops

Consulting

How do leadership skills apply to an organization?

Vision for the organization The Board must establish a vision and goals for the

organization? What needs to be done to improve libraries in the country? How might this be accomplished?

Discover member and user’s needs Ask members Ask community leaders Ask national political leaders

Communicate the organization’s vision and goals and activities To the members To the public To political leaders Change the perception of the library

Teamwork, must rely on volunteers Volunteer yourself Permit staff to volunteer and give time Support the association

Board must decisively plan and take action What needs to be done? Who’s in charge? When is it due? What resources are needed?

The Board must be resilient Leadership changes regularly New leaders must be developed The Board must take risks

There is protection in numbers Base decisions on data

What you can do

Volunteer to be a leader in your organization You can volunteer You can allow your staff to volunteer Your organization can provide support

Help develop national library policy

Advocate for a new role of libraries

Ask the hard questions

You can make a difference

Contact Information

Nancy BoltNancy Bolt & Associates9018 Ute DriveGolden, CO 80403USA303 642 0338 (phone)303 905 9347 (cell)303 642 0932 (fax)nancybolt@earthlink.netwww.NancyBoltAssociates.com