Developing leadership skills through professional engagement

Jo Alcock@joeyanne

jo.alcock@bcu.ac.ukEvidence Base, Birmingham City University

Overview• Who am I?• Who are you?• Leadership myths• My leadership journey• Case studies• Your leadership journey• Tips and advice

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Who am I?• Working in

profession for 7 years (mainly in academic libraries)

• Currently research/consulting for LIS

• On my own leadership journey

Who are you?

• Do you have any leadership experience?1. Complete novice2. Some leadership experience3. Experienced leader

• Have you led a project?• Have you chaired a committee/meeting?• Are you a manager?• Are you professionally engaged?

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Leadership myths

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You need to be a manager to be a leader

Management ≠ leadership

“Positional leadership due to job role or position doesn't necessarily mean you have people with you following you. True leaders may not necessarily have a formal position but always have people with them, following them”

Kathryn Deiss, American Library Association

You’re either a born leader or you’re not

Approaches to leadership• Genetics - born leaders• Learned - study to become a leader• Heroic - leaders emerge to take risks to do the right

thing in difficult times• Top-only - the people who sit at the top of the

organisational chart• Social script - people become leaders when

social situation demands it• Position - due to job title as Head or Director• Calling - like religion, a calling that you cannot resist

Leadership is an individual pursuit

Shared leadership

Need to be able to influence others yet also able to be influenced by others, and need to be able to make things happen with others and shape the future with others.... 

Leadership is about working with others!

Leadership journeys

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My journey

CILIP branch and group committees

Led projects and events

ALA Emerging Leaders

CILIP West Midlands Chair

Future Faces?

ALA Emerging Leaders• Leadership training• Attendance at ALA

Midwinter and ALA Annual Conferences

• Group project for ALA with mentor

• Poster presentation at ALA Annual Conference

CILIP West Midlands Chair• Work towards CILIP

Strategy• Lead and motivate

committee and working groups

• Drive forward organisation to support today’s professionals

Future Faces• Business networking

in local region• Build connections

and a peer group with other future leaders

• Learn management and leadership skills

Ayub Khan• Belonging to a special interest

group has helped me develop my career

• I've learnt lots from my involvement in professional activities e.g. Treasurer, networking, Chairing meetings and Policy development

• My secondment for 12  months outside libraries, working across Leisure and Culture gave me a wider insight in to the work of Local Government

• Moving from a City to a County and a new employer gave me an opportunity to develop a whole new skills set

Your journey

My top tips

Step outside your comfort zone

• Strive to try new things to help you develop

• Test on a try-it-and-see basis

• Be ready to scrap if it doesn’t work or you don’t enjoy it http://www.flickr.com/photos/therogue/34577

73093/

Take gradual steps

• Get involved at a low commitment level initially, then build up

• Try different things to see what you really want to take forward

• Remain flexible and willing to grab opportunities

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Read relevant literature/blogs• Taking People with

You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen

• The Intangibles of Leadership: The 10 Qualities of Superior Executive Performance

• Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead With Emotional Intelligence

Speak to inspirational leaders• Good to find

mentors that challenge you, not necessarily those who totally agree with you. This will challenge you more and help you develop

• Struggling with an area? Speak to someone you look up to in this area

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Respect your values• Develop a personal

ethos and stay centred in your values

• Deliver on responsibilities and promises

• Gain credibility and integrity from others http://www.flickr.com/photos/loop_oh/3024767495

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Be curious• Professional curiosity

is a good thing • Asking questions is a

good skill for leadership

• It is good to listen to views and ideas of others to help shape your leadership

Questions? Tips?

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Feel free to contact me

Jo AlcockEvidence Based Researcher@joeyannejo.alcock@bcu.ac.uk

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