How to Survive and Thrive

1 academic librarian8 public library directors(some veterans, some new to the role)1 aspiring public library director who has been an acting director

Goal for today

Meeting #1—it’s all about YOU first

Groundrules

Who Are You?

And how does that impact my leadership?

“Get over it.”

Being too introverted (I) or being too much of a feeler (F) can be

especially challenging.

Being different

Poll time!

Being different

Poll time!

Optimist or pessimist?

The pros and cons of each

It’s not too late to change your mind!

Whom do you want to be?

You’re only as good as what you’ll do next

What are you planning next?

What do you have to be?

• Politically savvy• Ahead of the curve• Outside your building• Your organization’s customer

Others to add?

Identifying your supporters

Common vulnerabilities

• Math abilities• Public speaking• Writing• Unfamiliar territory• Listening• How you appear

Others to add?

Coping skills• Begin the day right• Shed negative influences• Surround yourself with the right people• Control of what comes at you• Know when you’re at your best• Take all your vacation

More coping skills

• Delegate what doesn’t use your talents (e.g., building maintenance)

• Scream (so only YOU hear it)• Laugh• Store up positive messages

My daily boosters• No sugar before 6 p.m./lots of

protein• Reading positive writers, e.g.

Seth Godin, Bruce Kasanoff• Knowing the news with the

Skimm and Daily Pnut• Checking in with positive,

realistic people

Yours?

My annual boosters• Conference selection• Something for myself—buy

flowers, get a massage, have your car detailed

• Learning something new• Vacation choice• Something for others—visiting

elderly friend, donations, talking to recent arrivals

Yours?

You’re on stage

• People are paying attention to you differently

• You have to add preparation time to your day

• You’re held to a higher standard• Others want to be proud of you

How do I go from theory to action?

Possible actions:

• Identify a professional role model• Have professional photo done• Update/sign up for LinkedIn• Google yourself and make sure you’re

proud of what you see

More actions• Write something so people have

tangible evidence of your thinking

• Have a great business card regardless of the official one

• Make a personal improvement plan (sleep, eating, breathing, reading, listening, learning, exercise)

What would you like to add that’s worked

for you?

Next week--Staff

• Send questions/topics to address by Wednesday at 5 pm

More powerful than you know by Seth Godin I think that's always been a little true, but now it's a lot true.Everyone reading this has an enormous amount of power.Cultural power, mostly. The ability to speak up, to paint a picture of a different way, to share words and images with those that care to hear them.

But also the power of connection. The power to find people who need to know each other and help make magic happen.When we combine leadership (the leadership of ideas) with organization (the organization of people) we create the fabric of our culture, and our culture determines our future.

It's far easier to worry and gripe about insufficient authority, about those that would seek to slow us down, disrespect us or silence us.But we live in a moment where each of us has the power of influence. What will you do with it?

When your job is in reaction mode, you're allowing the outside world to decide what happens next. You are freed from the hard work of setting an agenda, but in exchange, you dance when the market says dance. "I did the best I could with what was thrown at me..."

Finding the guts to move up the ladder is hard. When you decide to set the agenda and when you take control over your time and your effort, the responsibility for what happens next belongs to you.