Presented at the 2013 British Columbia Library Association annual conference in Richmond, BC May 10, by Julie Mitchell, Managing Librarian, Chapman Learning Commons, UBC Library.

1. Getting from Here to There
Reflecting on Leadership in Changing Times
Michelle Mallette
University of British Columbia
Julie Mitchell
University of British Columbia
Anne Olsen
Vancouver Public Library

2. Overview
• Changing Landscape
• Approaches to leadership
• Leveraging leadership strengths during
change

3. Changing Landscape

4. Changing Landscape
• Libraries are currently operating in times of
intense change
• External factors putting pressure on our
organizations
o Changing demographics and communities
o Rapidly changing technology and rapid
adoption of new technologies
o Uncertain economics and austerity budgets

5. Changing Landscape
• External pressures are contributing to internal
changes
o Reviews, reflection, reorganization,
restructuring
o New competencies expected

6. Changing Landscape
Competencies in job
descriptions 10-15 years
ago:
Resources
Cataloguing
Bibliographic control
Detail
Specificity
Rules and procedures
Books and physical objects
Emphasis on transactions

7. Changing Landscape
Competencies in jobs
now:
Collaboration
Relationship building
Communication
Transparency
Evidence
Comfort with ambiguity
Initiative
Flexibility
Adaptability
Emphasis on interactions

8. Changing Landscape
• Responding to change
o Resistance
o What causes people to resist: uncertainty
or fear
… of the unknown
… of failure
… of commitment
… of disapproval
… of success

9. Changing Landscape
• Responding to change
o Reflect on and take control of how you
respond to change
o Proactive rather than a reactive response
o Focus on your sphere of influence
o Tools to give you control and put you in the
drivers seat of change

10. Changing Landscape

11. Changing Landscape
Questions for Reflection
What is changing in your workplace right now?
How are you responding to this change?
Would you consider yourself reactive or proactive?
How are others around you responding to the
change?

12. Approaches to
Leadership
What are my leadership strengths?

13. Approaches to Leadership
“Leadership seems to be the marshaling of
skills possessed by a majority but used by a
minority. But it is something that can be
learned by everyone, taught to everyone,
denied to no one.”
- Bennis & Nanus, 2003, 25

14. Approaches to Leadership
• Who first comes to mind when you think of a
leader?
• What characteristics make them leaders?

15. Approaches to Leadership
• Playing to strengths versus leading by
imitation
• Most effective leaders
o Surround themselves with the right people
o Maximize their teams
• Best leaders not well-rounded, best team are

16. Approaches to Leadership
“Without awareness of your strengths, it is
impossible to lead effectively”
- Rath and Conchie, 2008,10

17. Approaches to Leadership
• How do you determine your strengths and
the strengths of your team?
• Self-Awareness Tools
o Myers-Briggs Type indicator
o Parker Team Player Survey
o Success Insights
o StrengthsFinder

18. Approaches to Leadership
• StrengthsFinder
o 34 talent themes
o 5 themes emerge
o Achiever, Developer, Learner, Futuristic,
Restorative
• Recommendations for
o Leading with these strengths
o Leading others with these strengths
• Emphasizes the team based approach to
leadership

19. Approaches to Leadership
• Universally important skill to leadership
• Listening
o Seeking to understand before being
understood
• Critical to success in teams and during times
of intense change

20. Approaches to Leadership
Questions for Reflection
What do you consider to be the strengths
you bring to the workplace?
Think of two colleagues you work with
regularly. What do you see as their
strengths?

21. Leveraging Leadership
Strenghts

22. Time To Raise Your Hand If ....
• You work with children or teens
• You use online resources for providing
reference service
• You have ever used a print index (Canadian
Periodical Index, for instance)
• You've never used a card catalogue as a
library worker
• Your library has (some or all) closed stacks

23. Four Key Moments of Change
• 1903 Vancouver's Carnegie Library
• 1978 Dallas Public Library
• 1966 Dialog
• 1911 Victoria's flagship library

24. The Pencil Dater, from Milwaukee Public Library. Price in 1890 – 75 cents
And one from Faye Geddes, Raymond Public Library (AB). Priceless!

25. Days before Automated Circulation
Burnaby's Kingsway Branch, 1960s. Courtesy Burnaby Public Library

26. • Children in the library, open stacks,
computers at the reference desk ....
• How were these changes likely received by
library workers of the day?
Leadership in Changing Times

27. Leveraging Leadership Strengths
• How do we identify own and team strengths?
• How do we leverage these? Why?
• Requires shift in our behaviour and thinking
• Engaging with change

28. Engaging with Change
• Being a Partner in the Change
• Opposite = Disconnected
• Actively engaging

29. Ask Yourself This ...
How Do I Have to Be Different Now?
Disengaged,
Disconnected
Engaged with
Colleagues
Engaged with
Profession

30. Becoming Engaged with Change
• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to be?
• How will you get there?

31. Engaging with Change
Final Questions for Reflection
You’ve identified changes in your library, and
identified some strengths. How might you now
look at those changes?
What specific strengths are you bringing to our
situation and the situations your organization is
facing? What are your colleagues bringing?
What one thing can you do Monday morning to
respond positively to this change?

32. References
Bennis, Warren G., and Burt Nanus. Leaders: The Strategies for Taking
Charge. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.
Davis, Winifred. School Library Routines Visualized. Madison, WI: Library
Research Service, Division of Demco Library Supplies, 1948. Digital edition.
Available at Hathi Trust.
Davidson, H.E. and T. Parker. Classified Illustrated Catalog of the Library
Bureau: A Handbook of Library and Office Fittings and Supplies. Boston:
Library Bureau. 1890. Digital edition. Available at Hathi Trust.
Rath, & Conchie, Barry. (2008). Strengths-based leadership: great leaders,
teams, and why people follow. [Books24x7 version]. Available from <
http://common.books24x7.com/toc.aspx?bookid=36537>.
Photo of circulation desk at Kingsway Branch courtesy of Deb Thomas,
Burnaby Public Library.
Photo of pencil dater courtesy of Faye Geddes, RTom aymond Public Library.

33. Contact us
Michelle Mallette
mallette@science.ubc.ca
Julie Mitchell
julie.mitchell@ubc.ca
Anne Olsen
anne.olsen@vpl.ca