More than a year after Jane Kolbe suggested forming a reading and discussion group to review literature on leadership and management, the group has completed its first six books.
Thoughts on Books: A quick survey of the participants at the last session showed that most of the books resonated with someone. The favorite seemed to be A Simple Life, although it’s fair to note that we had just finished our discussion of that book. The Bennis book On Becoming a Leader, the Boyatzis and McKee book on Resonant Leadership and Bolman and Deal’s Reframing Organizations all had much to offer, and seemed to build on one another in a meaningful way. One person noted how much she had gained from Reframing Organizations, and that she’ll keep that book on her desk from now on. Another person liked The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry because it provided a different model of looking at organizations. While The Abilene Paradox was a story we occasionally referred back to, the rest of the book did not have enough substance to recommend using it again.
Participants: Most sessions averaged seven participants. There were six readers who attended most of the sessions; another seven readers joined for one or two sessions. The time commitment to read the books, plus the immediately-after-work discussion time probably kept some people from attending more regularly. Most of those who attended regularly made a good attempt at reading the book beforehand. Although people told me they read the blog site, they did not choose to post comments there.
Outcomes: While the planned outcome may have been to encourage a group of people to learn about leadership and management, there were several of unexpected outcomes related to the project. One of the regular group members received a promotion that moved her into a pivotal management/leadership role. One public library system had staff who monitored the project, read the blog, and eventually began to attend the discussion. The library system is looking at incorporating a reading and discussion program into its leadership program. Discussions between the participants, who represented three different library systems, also led to a greater appreciation for one another’s libraries, and encouraged some future partnership activities. For myself, I am working to embrace my colleagues' differences in their approaches to work, and to provide the space to others for their own "tinkering."
Recommendations: At the last meeting, the group discussed continuing the reading-and-discussion group, perhaps after a summer break. One member suggested looking at books in an online library book excerpt program. The group may also want to consider collections of articles, blog sites or websites. If we select pieces that are not book length, we may want to select several pieces, as I’m not sure we had enough to discuss when we focused our talk on Abilene Paradox.
The group may want to select books ahead of time – participants appreciated knowing what we were going to read, and to have the time to find the books. The group included people who always bought the books, and those who always checked them out of the library. Availability may be another consideration when selecting the books.
The group will also want to discuss how the blog site should continue. It’s a good place to list the books/reading material, and meeting times. Would members be willing to take turns posting a summary/essay, questions and links before hand? Perhaps this is something a revolving discussion leader might do each month. Is it necessary to post a summary?
Final Note: Thank you to everyone who helped with this project. I appreciate the help of Jane Kolbe, Jana Bradley and Tom Wilding in helping me to frame this project, and to select suitable reading materials. I am so pleased that Jana was able to join us for one of the discussions, and appreciate the time she took from both her other professional duties and personal life to do so. Those who participated in the discussions were just great! I learned as much from you, and your insights, as I did from the books. Thank you all.
Laura
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
April 30 Book Discussion
Book: Wheatley, Margaret and Kellner-Rogers, Myron. A Simpler Way. 1998. 135 pages. $19.95.
Preliminaries: Seven of us met Monday night to discuss the book. Snacks weren’t up to par, but everyone ate the trail mix anyway.
Book Discussion: Although Jane was prepared and ready to lead a discussion, this book generated such a lively response, that the discussion soon took on a life of its own as participants reflected on different aspects of the book, and how it applied to their world. In some ways, the book created the very self-organizing, creative system it described.
The discussion began with one participant asking how we are tweaking our organizations, and ended with a lively discussion on tinkers and putterers. In between, we discussed fear and pain, and whether they inform or control; we talked about visionary leaders (“the most informed person in the organization”); we talked about whether knowledge was organic; we talked about the future of libraries (but didn’t figure it out – yet!); and we talked about the importance of information and knowing our customers.
The group discussed the role of the leader as tinkerer, or at least, nurturer of tinkerers. It’s the tinkering process that allows organizations to address change. We agreed that a tinkerer needs to be open to new ideas, inquisitive; and needs to be addressing an important question. We discussed whether a tinkerer needs to have a plan. While we didn’t reach consensus on this, I think we did feel the tinkerer has some vision of what they are trying to accomplish. In comparison, a putterer may take on small problems, but doesn’t have a sense of how their work ties into the bigger picture.
Something to Think About: How do you encourage tinkering in an organization?
Preliminaries: Seven of us met Monday night to discuss the book. Snacks weren’t up to par, but everyone ate the trail mix anyway.
Book Discussion: Although Jane was prepared and ready to lead a discussion, this book generated such a lively response, that the discussion soon took on a life of its own as participants reflected on different aspects of the book, and how it applied to their world. In some ways, the book created the very self-organizing, creative system it described.
The discussion began with one participant asking how we are tweaking our organizations, and ended with a lively discussion on tinkers and putterers. In between, we discussed fear and pain, and whether they inform or control; we talked about visionary leaders (“the most informed person in the organization”); we talked about whether knowledge was organic; we talked about the future of libraries (but didn’t figure it out – yet!); and we talked about the importance of information and knowing our customers.
The group discussed the role of the leader as tinkerer, or at least, nurturer of tinkerers. It’s the tinkering process that allows organizations to address change. We agreed that a tinkerer needs to be open to new ideas, inquisitive; and needs to be addressing an important question. We discussed whether a tinkerer needs to have a plan. While we didn’t reach consensus on this, I think we did feel the tinkerer has some vision of what they are trying to accomplish. In comparison, a putterer may take on small problems, but doesn’t have a sense of how their work ties into the bigger picture.
Something to Think About: How do you encourage tinkering in an organization?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
April 30 Study Guide
Book: Wheatley, Margaret and Kellner-Rogers, Myron. A Simpler Way. 1998. 135 pages. $19.95.
About the Book: Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers don’t discuss libraries and librarians in their book, A Simpler Way, but the library community should find much to reflect on in their work. The authors discuss systems, arguing that much of the best organizational structure happens organically, when people and organizations are allowed to create and grow in response to the world around them. A Simpler Way offers ways to think about the organization of information, about staffing organization, and about planning in libraries.
The authors write that we live in a self-organizing world, and that life seeks to organize itself so that it can flourish. Yet, they also note that many lives and organizations provide little opportunity for experimentation, and for organizations to evolve. “If order is for free, than we don’t have to be the organizers,” they write (p. 35). Librarians, certainly historically and perhaps by their nature, are organizers. Some of us still believe it is possible to create an organizational system for the world’s information. Even if we were willing to give up on Dewey, many of us would like to believe that perhaps there’s a better way to organize information out there. Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers ask us to look at patterns that emerge, recognize that organizations and people will self-organize, and that change is a constant. Maybe there is no one, perfect system, and maybe that’s okay.
These same ideas may also be applied to library management and staffing systems. Unlike earlier books we’ve read, Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers don’t value a visionary leader. “The systems they create are chosen together. They are the result of dances, not wars,” the authors write (p. 44). Like other authors we’ve read, Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers offer up the values they think determine the form of a system: information; relationships; identity. What would a library staff look like where information was shared with all; people valued their relationships with co-workers and those they served; and felt empathy for identity of the organization (library)?
Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers offer a number of thoughts about planning, beginning with the idea that information is a necessary first step. “Information is one of the primary conditions that spawns the organizations we see,” (p. 82) they write. They argue for “parallel processing” – allowing many people and organizations to be working on a solution, which allows for both errors and multiple solutions. Interestingly, they are skeptical of traditional evaluation: “Every act of observation loses more information than it gains. Whatever we decide to notice blinds us to other possibilities” (p.26). So how do we create change in a system? Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers argue that we need to be “present and aware” about our organizations and ourselves. By reflecting on who we are, and who we want to become, we can move ourselves toward that change.
About the Authors: According to “the authors” section at the back of A Simpler Way, Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers have been “friends, colleagues, and partners” since 1976. They partner at both a consulting firm, and at the non-profit Berkana Institute. Wheatley earned a Ph.D. in administration, planning and social policy at Harvard; Kellner-Rogers studied at Holy Cross, Tufts and the University of Massachusetts.
Questions:
1. Thinking about the principles in this book, how might you organize an American public library? A grants program?
2. What successful organizations don’t have visionary leaders?
3. When does the creative process work best for you?
A Very Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
A short summary from Berrett-Koehler book sellers:
http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=1881052958&PG=1&Type=BL&PCS=BKP
The Illuminated Innovant is a blog with a good summary of the book by Paul Schumann (whom I do not know anything about): http://illuminatedinnovant.blogspot.com/2005/11/simpler-way.html
About the Authors
Margaret J. Wheatley has her own website at: http://www.margaretwheatley.com/.
Wheatley also has an entry at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Wheatley.
For a more traditional biography, and a photo, go to: http://www.integralleadershipreview.com/biography/bio_wheatley_margaret.html
Most everything about Myron Kellner-Rogers also included much info on Wheatley. Here’s a short bio from Berrett-Koehler: http://www.bkconnection.com/SearchResult.asp?SEL=1881052958&Type=RLA2
About the Book: Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers don’t discuss libraries and librarians in their book, A Simpler Way, but the library community should find much to reflect on in their work. The authors discuss systems, arguing that much of the best organizational structure happens organically, when people and organizations are allowed to create and grow in response to the world around them. A Simpler Way offers ways to think about the organization of information, about staffing organization, and about planning in libraries.The authors write that we live in a self-organizing world, and that life seeks to organize itself so that it can flourish. Yet, they also note that many lives and organizations provide little opportunity for experimentation, and for organizations to evolve. “If order is for free, than we don’t have to be the organizers,” they write (p. 35). Librarians, certainly historically and perhaps by their nature, are organizers. Some of us still believe it is possible to create an organizational system for the world’s information. Even if we were willing to give up on Dewey, many of us would like to believe that perhaps there’s a better way to organize information out there. Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers ask us to look at patterns that emerge, recognize that organizations and people will self-organize, and that change is a constant. Maybe there is no one, perfect system, and maybe that’s okay.
These same ideas may also be applied to library management and staffing systems. Unlike earlier books we’ve read, Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers don’t value a visionary leader. “The systems they create are chosen together. They are the result of dances, not wars,” the authors write (p. 44). Like other authors we’ve read, Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers offer up the values they think determine the form of a system: information; relationships; identity. What would a library staff look like where information was shared with all; people valued their relationships with co-workers and those they served; and felt empathy for identity of the organization (library)?
Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers offer a number of thoughts about planning, beginning with the idea that information is a necessary first step. “Information is one of the primary conditions that spawns the organizations we see,” (p. 82) they write. They argue for “parallel processing” – allowing many people and organizations to be working on a solution, which allows for both errors and multiple solutions. Interestingly, they are skeptical of traditional evaluation: “Every act of observation loses more information than it gains. Whatever we decide to notice blinds us to other possibilities” (p.26). So how do we create change in a system? Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers argue that we need to be “present and aware” about our organizations and ourselves. By reflecting on who we are, and who we want to become, we can move ourselves toward that change.
About the Authors: According to “the authors” section at the back of A Simpler Way, Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers have been “friends, colleagues, and partners” since 1976. They partner at both a consulting firm, and at the non-profit Berkana Institute. Wheatley earned a Ph.D. in administration, planning and social policy at Harvard; Kellner-Rogers studied at Holy Cross, Tufts and the University of Massachusetts.
Questions:
1. Thinking about the principles in this book, how might you organize an American public library? A grants program?
2. What successful organizations don’t have visionary leaders?
3. When does the creative process work best for you?
A Very Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
A short summary from Berrett-Koehler book sellers:
http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=1881052958&PG=1&Type=BL&PCS=BKP
The Illuminated Innovant is a blog with a good summary of the book by Paul Schumann (whom I do not know anything about): http://illuminatedinnovant.blogspot.com/2005/11/simpler-way.html
About the Authors
Margaret J. Wheatley has her own website at: http://www.margaretwheatley.com/.
Wheatley also has an entry at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Wheatley.
For a more traditional biography, and a photo, go to: http://www.integralleadershipreview.com/biography/bio_wheatley_margaret.html
Most everything about Myron Kellner-Rogers also included much info on Wheatley. Here’s a short bio from Berrett-Koehler: http://www.bkconnection.com/SearchResult.asp?SEL=1881052958&Type=RLA2
Saturday, April 7, 2007
March 26 Book Discussion
Book: Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership. 2003. 512 pages.
Preliminaries: Jana Bradley graciously facilitated our discussion this month. Also joining us for the first time was Elaine, who brought a lot of insight to the discussion. As usual, we chatted informally with snacks before getting down to the discussion.
Book Discussion: Jana began the discussion by presenting the basic premise of the book, and describing the four frames: structural, human resources, political and symbolic. She noted that a leader should have the capacity to use all of the frames. She also provided some historic background about management theory, and discussed how this was a “classification system,” which brought out lots of librarian grins. She agreed that there were many subcategories, and understanding the frames allows a leader/manager to mix and match as needed.
One group member pointed out that there is no magic bullet – a person can do everything “right,” yet the hoped-for outcomes don’t happen. She added that leaders seem to need a bit of serendipity as well.
The group spent some time discussing the symbolic framework, which Jana said that often times her students struggle to appreciate. Jana pointed out the use of “symbolic ambiguity” – the use of symbols that can have multiple meanings, and resonate with people in different ways, allowing them to buy-in to the idea.
The discussion concluded with talk about which frameworks are at work in libraries. Member pointed out that to some extent, all of the frameworks are there – the structure in the way the library is organized to provide books; human resources training especially in customer services; the role politics plays in how libraries are funded and operated; and both the values (right to access/freedom to read) and symbolic role they play in a community as a champion for those values. Jana noted that many libraries were classic bureaucracies, and challenged the group to think about what they would change.
Something to Think About: Should a leader strive for harmony?
Preliminaries: Jana Bradley graciously facilitated our discussion this month. Also joining us for the first time was Elaine, who brought a lot of insight to the discussion. As usual, we chatted informally with snacks before getting down to the discussion.
Book Discussion: Jana began the discussion by presenting the basic premise of the book, and describing the four frames: structural, human resources, political and symbolic. She noted that a leader should have the capacity to use all of the frames. She also provided some historic background about management theory, and discussed how this was a “classification system,” which brought out lots of librarian grins. She agreed that there were many subcategories, and understanding the frames allows a leader/manager to mix and match as needed.
One group member pointed out that there is no magic bullet – a person can do everything “right,” yet the hoped-for outcomes don’t happen. She added that leaders seem to need a bit of serendipity as well.
The group spent some time discussing the symbolic framework, which Jana said that often times her students struggle to appreciate. Jana pointed out the use of “symbolic ambiguity” – the use of symbols that can have multiple meanings, and resonate with people in different ways, allowing them to buy-in to the idea.
The discussion concluded with talk about which frameworks are at work in libraries. Member pointed out that to some extent, all of the frameworks are there – the structure in the way the library is organized to provide books; human resources training especially in customer services; the role politics plays in how libraries are funded and operated; and both the values (right to access/freedom to read) and symbolic role they play in a community as a champion for those values. Jana noted that many libraries were classic bureaucracies, and challenged the group to think about what they would change.
Something to Think About: Should a leader strive for harmony?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
March 26 Study Guide Part II
Book: Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership. 2003. 512 pages. $32.
Reframing Organizations proposes that managers and leaders use four “frames” or points of reference when considering an issue. This allows for multiple perspectives. The four frames are:
Structural: this frame provides the structure of an organization so that people are able to do their best work. Considerations include the allocation of work, and the coordination of work.
Human Resources: this frame works from a number of assumptions including that organizations should serve humans; organizations and people need each other; and a good fit between an organization and a person benefits both.
Political: this frame recognizes that coalitions with an organization will have different values and compete for resources. Goals, structures and policies may emerge from these ongoing negotiations.
Symbolic: this frame recognizes that meaning is based in experience and culture, and that what something means is more important than what happened.
Bolman and Deal make a number of references to other writers on leadership, including an earlier work by last month’s authors, Boyatzis and McKee (“a little squishy,” although grounded in the human resources frame. Much of Bennis’ ideas on vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity, play across these frames, although Bolman and Deal make a point of discussion vision as a part of the symbolic frame.
About the Author: Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal are best-selling authors, business consultants, and members of academic communities. Bolman is the Marion Bloch Chair in Leadership at the Bloch School of Business, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Deal is the Irving R. Melbo Professor of Education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School.
Questions:
Taking Jana’s suggestion, I came up with a couple of different library issues for us to talk about.
1. Pornography on the Internet. Let us say that our library is CIPA compliant: it has minimal filtering, and we make it easy for people to request that it be turned off. Recently, a number of people have asked to have it turned off, while sitting at computers in the most public areas. The library staff had recently reorganized the computer area so that they could better supervise the area after some computer vandalism. Now, several parents have complained, and the library director has just received a letter from on a city councilperson asking about the incidents. How do you balance CIPA, library staff concerns, and community concerns?
2. Reaching a New Generation. Recently, a staff member has proposed building a video and sound studio, where people can make their own videos for posting to YouTube or for other purposes. While some of the start up costs may be donated, there will be significant ongoing costs, and no new money in the library budget for those costs. In addition, the library needs to find space for the studio. While some staff members are very excited about the studio, others are concerned about what it may mean for their long-standing programs. How do you decide whether to make this a priority? At what cost?
3. Maybe you have an issue you’d like us to use the frames to talk through?
A Very Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
This is a summary, in outline format, of an earlier version. Written by Ted Nellen, probably as a part of his college work; it seems to summarize the ideas adequately. http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html
Almisbar (United Arab Emirates University) Library Newsletter had this review of the 2003 edition: http://www.libs.uaeu.ac.ae/almisbar/2005fall/review.html
About the Authors
Lee G. Bolman has his own website (and even posts his photo) at: http://www.leebolman.com/
And so does Terrence E. Deal: https://www.cuesta.edu/commty/foundation/pages/DEAL%20Bio%20&%20Pic.pdf
Reframing Organizations proposes that managers and leaders use four “frames” or points of reference when considering an issue. This allows for multiple perspectives. The four frames are:
Structural: this frame provides the structure of an organization so that people are able to do their best work. Considerations include the allocation of work, and the coordination of work.
Human Resources: this frame works from a number of assumptions including that organizations should serve humans; organizations and people need each other; and a good fit between an organization and a person benefits both.
Political: this frame recognizes that coalitions with an organization will have different values and compete for resources. Goals, structures and policies may emerge from these ongoing negotiations.
Symbolic: this frame recognizes that meaning is based in experience and culture, and that what something means is more important than what happened.
Bolman and Deal make a number of references to other writers on leadership, including an earlier work by last month’s authors, Boyatzis and McKee (“a little squishy,” although grounded in the human resources frame. Much of Bennis’ ideas on vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity, play across these frames, although Bolman and Deal make a point of discussion vision as a part of the symbolic frame.
About the Author: Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal are best-selling authors, business consultants, and members of academic communities. Bolman is the Marion Bloch Chair in Leadership at the Bloch School of Business, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Deal is the Irving R. Melbo Professor of Education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School.
Questions:
Taking Jana’s suggestion, I came up with a couple of different library issues for us to talk about.
1. Pornography on the Internet. Let us say that our library is CIPA compliant: it has minimal filtering, and we make it easy for people to request that it be turned off. Recently, a number of people have asked to have it turned off, while sitting at computers in the most public areas. The library staff had recently reorganized the computer area so that they could better supervise the area after some computer vandalism. Now, several parents have complained, and the library director has just received a letter from on a city councilperson asking about the incidents. How do you balance CIPA, library staff concerns, and community concerns?
2. Reaching a New Generation. Recently, a staff member has proposed building a video and sound studio, where people can make their own videos for posting to YouTube or for other purposes. While some of the start up costs may be donated, there will be significant ongoing costs, and no new money in the library budget for those costs. In addition, the library needs to find space for the studio. While some staff members are very excited about the studio, others are concerned about what it may mean for their long-standing programs. How do you decide whether to make this a priority? At what cost?
3. Maybe you have an issue you’d like us to use the frames to talk through?
A Very Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
This is a summary, in outline format, of an earlier version. Written by Ted Nellen, probably as a part of his college work; it seems to summarize the ideas adequately. http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html
Almisbar (United Arab Emirates University) Library Newsletter had this review of the 2003 edition: http://www.libs.uaeu.ac.ae/almisbar/2005fall/review.html
About the Authors
Lee G. Bolman has his own website (and even posts his photo) at: http://www.leebolman.com/
And so does Terrence E. Deal: https://www.cuesta.edu/commty/foundation/pages/DEAL%20Bio%20&%20Pic.pdf
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
March 26 Study Guide
Book: Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership. 2003. 512 pages. $32.
Thanks to Dr. Jana Bradley, who has provided us with the following study guide. I'll add more of an overview, and perhaps some other sources, later.
Overview of Book: This book groups approaches to management, represented by management theories, in four categories, each of which views management from a different perspective. The basic premise is that complex problems always benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives. Managers tend to analyze problems from the perspectives with which they feel most comfortable, which may not always be the most relevant or useful. Managers benefit from having an “analytical toolkit” of perspectives.
Reading Recommendations: To understand the book’s premise—that complex management problems benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives—it is necessary first to understand the concept of “framing” and then grasp each of the four frames: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. Here are some reading suggestions to give you a sense of the whole book. Read more if you have the time and interest.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Power of Framing
Chapter 3: Getting Organized (Structural Frame)
Chapter 6: People in Organizations (Human Resource Frame)
Chapter 9: Power, Conflict and Coalition (Political Frame)
Chapter 12: Organizational Culture and Symbols
Chapter 15: Integrating Frames for Effective Practice
Discussion: One of the best ways to work with this book is to take an issue or problem in library management, discuss how each frame conceptualizes the issue and what solutions each frame offers, and then put together a plan or sequence of approaches that you think pulls everything together.
Of course, you could choose a number of different problems. In classes, I have had a great deal of success with using the introduction of new technology into a library as the focal issue.
Thanks to Dr. Jana Bradley, who has provided us with the following study guide. I'll add more of an overview, and perhaps some other sources, later.
Overview of Book: This book groups approaches to management, represented by management theories, in four categories, each of which views management from a different perspective. The basic premise is that complex problems always benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives. Managers tend to analyze problems from the perspectives with which they feel most comfortable, which may not always be the most relevant or useful. Managers benefit from having an “analytical toolkit” of perspectives.
Reading Recommendations: To understand the book’s premise—that complex management problems benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives—it is necessary first to understand the concept of “framing” and then grasp each of the four frames: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. Here are some reading suggestions to give you a sense of the whole book. Read more if you have the time and interest.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Power of Framing
Chapter 3: Getting Organized (Structural Frame)
Chapter 6: People in Organizations (Human Resource Frame)
Chapter 9: Power, Conflict and Coalition (Political Frame)
Chapter 12: Organizational Culture and Symbols
Chapter 15: Integrating Frames for Effective Practice
Discussion: One of the best ways to work with this book is to take an issue or problem in library management, discuss how each frame conceptualizes the issue and what solutions each frame offers, and then put together a plan or sequence of approaches that you think pulls everything together.
Of course, you could choose a number of different problems. In classes, I have had a great deal of success with using the introduction of new technology into a library as the focal issue.
Feb. 26 Discussion
Book: Boyatzis, Richard and McKee, Annie. Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting With Others Through Mindfulness, Hope, and Compassion. 2005. 286 pages.
Preliminaries: Thanks to the core group of participants who continue to participate with this exploration of leadership. We welcomed a new member this month, Dereth, and appreciated her insights and participation. Snacks were tortilla chips and dips – not very inspirational, as we’d already used up the Mexican food theme for lunch with some out-of-town guests earlier in the day.
Book Discussion: Everyone who had read even a little in this book reported that it resonated with them, and we were able to quickly bring the few non-readers up to speed. (We should remember this: even among librarians, we are sometimes non-readers.)
After reviewing the books highlights (emotional intelligences, sacrifice syndrome, CEO disease, and how to combat it: mindfulness, hope and compassion), we discussed whether these strategies worked for those of us who are not “the” leader, but do have professional jobs requiring both creativity and responsiveness. Strategies included exercising; eating meals regularly with significant others; church attendance and other worshipful practices; family events; attendance at cultural events; and hobbies.
Everyone took some time to complete one of the exercises, “Insight into Your Operating Philosophy” (p. 215). The book divides people into three types of operating philosophies: pragmatic, intellectual and humanistic. Just the effort it took some group members to complete and score the exercise said something about their operating philosophy. Our results were mixed, although almost everyone showed up at least somewhat strong in the humanistic area. A few of us learned we’re pretty intensely entrenched in one philosophy. Using that information, we could begin to understand how two people might have the same intentions, but select very different courses of action. And, we realized, an understanding of your operating philosophy also helps develop mindfulness, and toward personal activities that might complement the work life.
Something to Think About: Would you hire someone who had a reputation of always being in the office more than 60 hours a week, and never taking vacations?
Preliminaries: Thanks to the core group of participants who continue to participate with this exploration of leadership. We welcomed a new member this month, Dereth, and appreciated her insights and participation. Snacks were tortilla chips and dips – not very inspirational, as we’d already used up the Mexican food theme for lunch with some out-of-town guests earlier in the day.
Book Discussion: Everyone who had read even a little in this book reported that it resonated with them, and we were able to quickly bring the few non-readers up to speed. (We should remember this: even among librarians, we are sometimes non-readers.)
After reviewing the books highlights (emotional intelligences, sacrifice syndrome, CEO disease, and how to combat it: mindfulness, hope and compassion), we discussed whether these strategies worked for those of us who are not “the” leader, but do have professional jobs requiring both creativity and responsiveness. Strategies included exercising; eating meals regularly with significant others; church attendance and other worshipful practices; family events; attendance at cultural events; and hobbies.
Everyone took some time to complete one of the exercises, “Insight into Your Operating Philosophy” (p. 215). The book divides people into three types of operating philosophies: pragmatic, intellectual and humanistic. Just the effort it took some group members to complete and score the exercise said something about their operating philosophy. Our results were mixed, although almost everyone showed up at least somewhat strong in the humanistic area. A few of us learned we’re pretty intensely entrenched in one philosophy. Using that information, we could begin to understand how two people might have the same intentions, but select very different courses of action. And, we realized, an understanding of your operating philosophy also helps develop mindfulness, and toward personal activities that might complement the work life.
Something to Think About: Would you hire someone who had a reputation of always being in the office more than 60 hours a week, and never taking vacations?
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Feb. 26 Study Guide
Book: Boyatzis, Richard and McKee, Annie. Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting With Others Through Mindfulness, Hope, and Compassion. 2005. 286 pages. $25.95.
I took a break from finishing Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee’s Resonant Leadership yesterday to see the movie, The Queen. The movie is a fictional account of the week following Princess Diana’s death, in which Queen Elizabeth and her royal family seem unable to reach out to the British people’s escalating public grief. Surely this was an example of dissonant leadership, I mused, wondering why the Brits continue to humor the monarchy. Yet, the monarchy has remained in this otherwise post-modern nation (it’s interesting that in the movie Charles wants to be seen as modern); certainly this must be some evidence of resonance.
Boyatzis and McKee wrote Resonant Leadership as a sequel of sorts to Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. This new book begins with a discussion o emotional intelligence, and includes a table outlining the domains and competencies of emotional leadership: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. These ideas somewhat parallel the competencies that Warren Bennis requires of leaders in On Becoming a Leader: vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity. Using emotional intelligence as a building block, Resonant Leadership asks how leaders maintain that resonance over time. Boyatzis and McKee talk about the sacrifice syndrome that contemporary leaders fall into when they deal with one crisis after another, failing to renew themselves along the way. Renewal requires mindfulness, hope and compassion on an ongoing basis, the authors argue.
It might be argued that none of this has anything to do with Queen Elizabeth – she is only a figurehead, and not a leader. However, as the movie reminds us, ten elected British prime ministers have come before her to ask her permission to form a government, and have then engaged her in ongoing discussions about the country. Whether this role will continue after her death is not idle discussion. If she is more celebrity than leader, it is celebrity built on figurative leadership. Regardless of the monarchy’s relevance, Queen Elizabeth (both as portrayed in the movie and the media) would score high in the emotional intelligence of self-awareness and self-management. She embraces and believes in her role as sovereign, and shows tremendous discipline. One might argue whether she has an accurate self-assessment, adaptability or initiative. However, her sustained popularity with the British people would indicate that she exhibits these competencies as appropriate to her role. A critical discussion of her emotional intelligence in the areas of social competencies might be more spirited. While she may be an inspirational leader, as sovereign, she is not allowed to voice a political opinion, negating much of her effectiveness in other relationship management areas.
Resonant Leadership focuses on why leaders stumble, and how they might pick themselves up. The movie, The Queen focuses on such a stumble. The queen’s lack of a response to Princess Diana’s death could be seen as emblematic of a failed monarchy, the sacrifice syndrome, or a momentary crisis. Leaving aside value judgments on the monarchy as an institution, it would be hard to argue that Queen Elizabeth is a failed monarch. Her longevity, popularity and legacy are testaments to her success. However, I wondered if she had fallen prey to sacrifice syndrome, caused by too many threats and crisis for too long of a period with no time for renewal. During the course of the week, the queen’s popularity drops, and the number of Brits calling for an end to the monarchy rises to a record 25 percent, as the queen seems immobilized to do anything. She is a prime candidate for CEO Disease – with no peers, few in her trusted circle would criticize her. Interestingly, it is Tony Blair, as a young prime minister, who takes on this challenge.
Despite the disastrous week, Queen Elizabeth isn’t portrayed as perpetually dissonant. Instead, she exhibits some of the traits that Boyatzis and McKee say leaders need to sustain themselves: mindfulness, hope and compassion. She is mindful of who she is, and confident in her role. As the symbolic head of the Church of England, the media also tells us she is personally religious. Moviegoers see a vulnerable Queen Elizabeth when she stands in awe of a stag, and then, finally, is able to cry. She does stay attuned to what is going on around her, even if her response seems out of step with public sentiment. The movie would have us believe she is acting out of a sense of propriety, as well as some deep ambivalence for Diana herself. Hope is a little harder to gauge. If hope is defined as optimism about the future, Queen Elizabeth’s actions may be seen as hopeful – she thinks she is protecting her grandsons – England’s future. Then there’s compassion, interesting to think about in this woman who is seen as rather severe and formal. She does show affection for her family, even if it is within a tightly prescribed set of rules. (At one point, Charles calls her on this, pointing out what a warm mother Diana was to her sons.) In the end, she participates in Diana’s public funeral. She may have been bowing to political pressure, but she was also reaching out to the British people. For Queen Elizabeth, I wondered if the careful constructs of personal relationships that she subscribes to are what have allowed her to sustain herself for so many years.
At the end of the movie, Tony Blair compliments Queen Elizabeth on handling the crisis. She cautions him that public opinion can turn negative very quickly. Anyone up for analyzing Tony Blair’s leadership issues?
.
About the Author: Richard Boyatzis is a professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University. Annie McKee is at the Teleos Leadership Institute.
Questions:
1. Do you have to be THE leader to fall into Sacrifice Syndrome?
2. What can you do to renew mindfulness, hope and compassion?
3. Is CEO Disease related to the Abilene Paradox?
4. Take a look at the activities at the end of Chapter 5. Define your fantasy job. Think about what you would like your legacy to be. Do you have a personal vision?
A Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
Ten minute audio file of Richard Boyatzis talking about Resonant Leadership on Bill Thompson’s eyeonbooks at http://www.eyeonbooks.com/ibp.php?ISBN=1591395631
Case Western Reserve University article on book: http://www.case.edu/news/2005/12-05/resonant.htm
Book excerpt, “Business Week” online at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_48/b3961151.htm. Short discussion of some of the exercises from the book.
Book summary from 800-CEO-READ of first chapter at http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/005772.html .
Amazon reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Resonant-Leadership-Connecting-Mindfulness-Compassion/dp/1591395631/sr=8-1/qid=1171850745/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7672359-1488452?ie=UTF8&s=books
Executive Summary from Executive HR Network summit led by Richard Boyatizis on Resonant Leadership: http://www.cognos.com/pdfs/whitepapers/wp_executive_summary_chicago.pdf
About the Authors
Biography of Richard Boyatizis: http://www.eiconsortium.org/members/boyatzis.htm
Publications by Annie McKee: http://www.teleosleaders.com/pdf/Bibliography_of_Annie_McKee.pdf
I took a break from finishing Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee’s Resonant Leadership yesterday to see the movie, The Queen. The movie is a fictional account of the week following Princess Diana’s death, in which Queen Elizabeth and her royal family seem unable to reach out to the British people’s escalating public grief. Surely this was an example of dissonant leadership, I mused, wondering why the Brits continue to humor the monarchy. Yet, the monarchy has remained in this otherwise post-modern nation (it’s interesting that in the movie Charles wants to be seen as modern); certainly this must be some evidence of resonance.Boyatzis and McKee wrote Resonant Leadership as a sequel of sorts to Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. This new book begins with a discussion o emotional intelligence, and includes a table outlining the domains and competencies of emotional leadership: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. These ideas somewhat parallel the competencies that Warren Bennis requires of leaders in On Becoming a Leader: vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity. Using emotional intelligence as a building block, Resonant Leadership asks how leaders maintain that resonance over time. Boyatzis and McKee talk about the sacrifice syndrome that contemporary leaders fall into when they deal with one crisis after another, failing to renew themselves along the way. Renewal requires mindfulness, hope and compassion on an ongoing basis, the authors argue.
It might be argued that none of this has anything to do with Queen Elizabeth – she is only a figurehead, and not a leader. However, as the movie reminds us, ten elected British prime ministers have come before her to ask her permission to form a government, and have then engaged her in ongoing discussions about the country. Whether this role will continue after her death is not idle discussion. If she is more celebrity than leader, it is celebrity built on figurative leadership. Regardless of the monarchy’s relevance, Queen Elizabeth (both as portrayed in the movie and the media) would score high in the emotional intelligence of self-awareness and self-management. She embraces and believes in her role as sovereign, and shows tremendous discipline. One might argue whether she has an accurate self-assessment, adaptability or initiative. However, her sustained popularity with the British people would indicate that she exhibits these competencies as appropriate to her role. A critical discussion of her emotional intelligence in the areas of social competencies might be more spirited. While she may be an inspirational leader, as sovereign, she is not allowed to voice a political opinion, negating much of her effectiveness in other relationship management areas.
Resonant Leadership focuses on why leaders stumble, and how they might pick themselves up. The movie, The Queen focuses on such a stumble. The queen’s lack of a response to Princess Diana’s death could be seen as emblematic of a failed monarchy, the sacrifice syndrome, or a momentary crisis. Leaving aside value judgments on the monarchy as an institution, it would be hard to argue that Queen Elizabeth is a failed monarch. Her longevity, popularity and legacy are testaments to her success. However, I wondered if she had fallen prey to sacrifice syndrome, caused by too many threats and crisis for too long of a period with no time for renewal. During the course of the week, the queen’s popularity drops, and the number of Brits calling for an end to the monarchy rises to a record 25 percent, as the queen seems immobilized to do anything. She is a prime candidate for CEO Disease – with no peers, few in her trusted circle would criticize her. Interestingly, it is Tony Blair, as a young prime minister, who takes on this challenge.
Despite the disastrous week, Queen Elizabeth isn’t portrayed as perpetually dissonant. Instead, she exhibits some of the traits that Boyatzis and McKee say leaders need to sustain themselves: mindfulness, hope and compassion. She is mindful of who she is, and confident in her role. As the symbolic head of the Church of England, the media also tells us she is personally religious. Moviegoers see a vulnerable Queen Elizabeth when she stands in awe of a stag, and then, finally, is able to cry. She does stay attuned to what is going on around her, even if her response seems out of step with public sentiment. The movie would have us believe she is acting out of a sense of propriety, as well as some deep ambivalence for Diana herself. Hope is a little harder to gauge. If hope is defined as optimism about the future, Queen Elizabeth’s actions may be seen as hopeful – she thinks she is protecting her grandsons – England’s future. Then there’s compassion, interesting to think about in this woman who is seen as rather severe and formal. She does show affection for her family, even if it is within a tightly prescribed set of rules. (At one point, Charles calls her on this, pointing out what a warm mother Diana was to her sons.) In the end, she participates in Diana’s public funeral. She may have been bowing to political pressure, but she was also reaching out to the British people. For Queen Elizabeth, I wondered if the careful constructs of personal relationships that she subscribes to are what have allowed her to sustain herself for so many years.
At the end of the movie, Tony Blair compliments Queen Elizabeth on handling the crisis. She cautions him that public opinion can turn negative very quickly. Anyone up for analyzing Tony Blair’s leadership issues?
.
About the Author: Richard Boyatzis is a professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University. Annie McKee is at the Teleos Leadership Institute.
Questions:
1. Do you have to be THE leader to fall into Sacrifice Syndrome?
2. What can you do to renew mindfulness, hope and compassion?
3. Is CEO Disease related to the Abilene Paradox?
4. Take a look at the activities at the end of Chapter 5. Define your fantasy job. Think about what you would like your legacy to be. Do you have a personal vision?
A Short Webography:
Book Reviews and Summaries
Ten minute audio file of Richard Boyatzis talking about Resonant Leadership on Bill Thompson’s eyeonbooks at http://www.eyeonbooks.com/ibp.php?ISBN=1591395631
Case Western Reserve University article on book: http://www.case.edu/news/2005/12-05/resonant.htm
Book excerpt, “Business Week” online at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_48/b3961151.htm. Short discussion of some of the exercises from the book.
Book summary from 800-CEO-READ of first chapter at http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/005772.html .
Amazon reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Resonant-Leadership-Connecting-Mindfulness-Compassion/dp/1591395631/sr=8-1/qid=1171850745/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7672359-1488452?ie=UTF8&s=books
Executive Summary from Executive HR Network summit led by Richard Boyatizis on Resonant Leadership: http://www.cognos.com/pdfs/whitepapers/wp_executive_summary_chicago.pdf
About the Authors
Biography of Richard Boyatizis: http://www.eiconsortium.org/members/boyatzis.htm
Publications by Annie McKee: http://www.teleosleaders.com/pdf/Bibliography_of_Annie_McKee.pdf
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Jan. 29 Discussion
Book: Bennis, Warren On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic. 2003. 218 pages.
Preliminaries: Holly led this month’s discussion as we munched on cheese and crackers, along with a little dark chocolate. Our group of seven welcomed one new comer, and discussed inviting some additional people. I realized after the discussion that I had forgotten to take notes, so my comments here are from memory; perhaps another participant will have additional insights.
Book Discussion: Most everyone agreed that they liked this book, and appreciated Bennis’ writing style; his focus on four leadership competencies (vision, voice, integrity, adaptability); and that Bennis didn’t try to offer up any formulaic solutions. We found our discussion returning to the competencies throughout our discussion, and at one point Holly asked us which we valued most. Several discussants thought integrity was the most important, because without it, vision and voice can be destructive. Another person argued for vision, pointing out that without it, a person can be a good manager, but isn’t necessarily a leader. Another person made a similar argument for voice.
The group spent some time discussing Ed, the company man from New York who as being groomed to be the CEO of a Minneapolis-based company. Bennis came to know Ed when he was hired to coach him, a role in which he did not succeed. Ed was a company man who had drive and toughness. He quickly earned a reputation in his new company as the “Brooklyn Bomber,” and lacked people skills. As much as Ed worked at becoming less tyrannical, the people who worked with him remained wary of him. We discussed the competencies that Ed seemed to missing, and finally concluded that he lacked them all. Rather than leading, he was bullying.
Book discussion participants talked about library leaders in Arizona and the U.S. They talked about how the Library Development Division at the Arizona State Library, as well as continuing education efforts within library districts, might nurture leaders. The opportunity to travel, especially to attend national or regional library conferences, is especially important. Workshops delivered to local communities can be important first steps, and workshops that encourage library staff members to attend with those they don’t know, are also important. Library leaders have emerged from the week-long library institute, which takes place on the UofA campus. Efforts to encourage library staff members to network outside the library within their own communities are also important.
Something to Think About: Can leadership be taught? Thinking about each of the competencies that Bennis outlines, is it possible for a person to learn these?
Preliminaries: Holly led this month’s discussion as we munched on cheese and crackers, along with a little dark chocolate. Our group of seven welcomed one new comer, and discussed inviting some additional people. I realized after the discussion that I had forgotten to take notes, so my comments here are from memory; perhaps another participant will have additional insights.
Book Discussion: Most everyone agreed that they liked this book, and appreciated Bennis’ writing style; his focus on four leadership competencies (vision, voice, integrity, adaptability); and that Bennis didn’t try to offer up any formulaic solutions. We found our discussion returning to the competencies throughout our discussion, and at one point Holly asked us which we valued most. Several discussants thought integrity was the most important, because without it, vision and voice can be destructive. Another person argued for vision, pointing out that without it, a person can be a good manager, but isn’t necessarily a leader. Another person made a similar argument for voice.
The group spent some time discussing Ed, the company man from New York who as being groomed to be the CEO of a Minneapolis-based company. Bennis came to know Ed when he was hired to coach him, a role in which he did not succeed. Ed was a company man who had drive and toughness. He quickly earned a reputation in his new company as the “Brooklyn Bomber,” and lacked people skills. As much as Ed worked at becoming less tyrannical, the people who worked with him remained wary of him. We discussed the competencies that Ed seemed to missing, and finally concluded that he lacked them all. Rather than leading, he was bullying.
Book discussion participants talked about library leaders in Arizona and the U.S. They talked about how the Library Development Division at the Arizona State Library, as well as continuing education efforts within library districts, might nurture leaders. The opportunity to travel, especially to attend national or regional library conferences, is especially important. Workshops delivered to local communities can be important first steps, and workshops that encourage library staff members to attend with those they don’t know, are also important. Library leaders have emerged from the week-long library institute, which takes place on the UofA campus. Efforts to encourage library staff members to network outside the library within their own communities are also important.
Something to Think About: Can leadership be taught? Thinking about each of the competencies that Bennis outlines, is it possible for a person to learn these?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Jan. 29 Study Guide
Book: Bennis,Warren On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic. 2003. 
218 pages. $17.50.
This month’s book summary is a letter to my son, Sam, currently a freshman theatre student at the University of Northern Colorado. While he was in high school, he was often challenged by a failure to manage his schoolwork. (That’s a nice way of saying he didn’t pay attention to deadlines, and too often decided to reinterpret his assignments.) However, he also attended the annual meeting of the International Thespian Society in Lincoln, Nebraska, as the sole representative of his high school, and was elected chairman of the national student organization. In that capacity, he traveled extensively across the country to participate in meetings and present at conferences, choosing to focus much of his efforts on fund- and friends-raising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
My dear Sam:
As I read Warren Bennis’On Becoming A Leader, I found myself thinking of you. At first, I thought his ideas were ones I would simply like to share with you. Bennis, a former university president, professor, and author of many books, writes thoughtfully and intelligently about leadership, not only from a business perspective, but also from the perspective of leaders in the arts and politics. As I continued reading, I came to better understand and appreciate your gifts. I realized that your life experiences (as much as any 18-year-old’s can be) are those shared by leaders, and that you already have many of the traits that make a leader. I think you will find that Bennis still has a lot to offer you, as you begin to navigate your way through the adult world.
After telling us why leaders are important (responsibility for effectiveness, serving as anchors, providing integrity) and reminding us that leaders are not managers, Bennis discusses the importance of knowing oneself and being responsible for oneself in terms of education, actions, and reflection. Bennis then launches into a chapter on “Knowing the World” in which he discusses the importance of a broad education, coupled with a native curiosity. (He also mentions dominating mothers, but we won’t go there, right?) Bennis discusses the importance of an intellectual life, travel, friends and mentors, and adversity. Sam, you’ll like this quote Bennis includes from John Cleese: “It’s self-evident that if we can’t take the risk of saying or doing something wrong, our creativity goes right out the window. . . . The essence of creativity is not the possession of some special talent, it is much more the ability to play.”
The central chapters in Bennis’ book outline key tools that a leader needs: good instincts, a willingness to try everything, an ability to deal with change, and a capacity to working with people. Although Bennis identifies lots of troubling elements in our world today, his words reverberate with a sense of hope, along with the importance of integrity and ethics. In his introduction, he outlines four essential competencies that a leader must have. First, there’s that vision thing. If you don’t have the big idea (or better yet, ideas), why do you want to be the leader anyway? Then, he says, leaders must have a distinctive voice. I struggled to understand what Bennis meant by this for a while. Did this mean a big personality, I wondered? Further in the book, he explains that leading from voice requires trust, which is built by consistency, congruity, reliability, and integrity. Third, Bennis writes that leaders must have integrity (seems like this reinforces the voice business, but I appreciate also acknowledging this issue separately). Finally, Bennis writes that leaders must have adaptive capacity. Here is where Bennis requires leaders to deal with change, both quickly and intelligently.
Toward the end of the book, Bennis outlines his advice to young executives. He says: 1) Take advantage of every opportunity; 2) Aggressively search for meaning; and 3) Know yourself. I could only wish that mothers gave such sage advice.
Love you,
Mom
About the Author: Warren Bennis is a Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is a former university professor, consultant to multinational corporations, and the author of more othan 30 books on leadership.
Questions:
1. Are you willing to wear a sombrero?
2. Do you agree that life is no longer linear? Was it ever?
3. Bennis names four characteristics of leaders: vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity. Would you add anything else?
4. What does it mean to you when Bennis says that trust resides between doubt and faith?
5. Former CBS executive Barbara Corday tells Bennis that gender matters in terms of empathy, and in the way leaders see power (p. 146). Do you think there is a gender difference?
6. In Chapter 9, "Organizations Can Help -- or Hinder," Bennis lists a number of pivotal forces: technology, global interdependence, mergers and acquisitions, deregulation and regulation; and demographics and values. Which of these pertain to libraries? How should library leaders be addressing them?
7. How much of a leader is the personality, and how much is the vision? Bennis acknowledges that sometimes leaders need to leave an organization, if they are not able to lead ethically, and if their vision is no longer relevant. If a person is to be a leader, are they ultimately tied to to the vision, the organization, or to themselves?
A Short Webography:
Summaries and Reviews
www.bizsum.com/OnBecomingALeader.htm
The BusinessSummaries website is a pretty good of the first edition of the book. Andrew Gibbons, a management developer from Gloucester, UK, wrote the summary. It is available on his website at:
www.andrewgibbons.co.uk/documents/BECOMING_002.doc.
www.butler-bowdon.com/onbecoming.html
This is the website, 50 Classics, which has another summary of the first edition.
Here’s a review on Epinions:
www99.epinions.com/content_182715190916
www.amazon.com/Becoming-Leader-Leadership-Classic-Updated-Expanded/dp/0738208175
This Amazon entry has lots of info on recent edition, including 22 consumer reviews, as well as several book list summaries.
Biographical Info on Bennis
Basic resume info on Bennis can be found at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Bennis.
From the USC Trojan Family Magazine, a collection of articles printed in 2000 on Waren Bennis. You can begin with “Leading Man: A Festschrift for Warren Bennis” and find additional links at
www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/autumn00/Bennis/Bennis.html.
A Little More Bennis
Here’s an essay by Bennis, “The Leadership Advantage.” It is not from the book, but has lots of good food for thought: www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/L2L/spring99/bennis.html
218 pages. $17.50.This month’s book summary is a letter to my son, Sam, currently a freshman theatre student at the University of Northern Colorado. While he was in high school, he was often challenged by a failure to manage his schoolwork. (That’s a nice way of saying he didn’t pay attention to deadlines, and too often decided to reinterpret his assignments.) However, he also attended the annual meeting of the International Thespian Society in Lincoln, Nebraska, as the sole representative of his high school, and was elected chairman of the national student organization. In that capacity, he traveled extensively across the country to participate in meetings and present at conferences, choosing to focus much of his efforts on fund- and friends-raising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
My dear Sam:
As I read Warren Bennis’On Becoming A Leader, I found myself thinking of you. At first, I thought his ideas were ones I would simply like to share with you. Bennis, a former university president, professor, and author of many books, writes thoughtfully and intelligently about leadership, not only from a business perspective, but also from the perspective of leaders in the arts and politics. As I continued reading, I came to better understand and appreciate your gifts. I realized that your life experiences (as much as any 18-year-old’s can be) are those shared by leaders, and that you already have many of the traits that make a leader. I think you will find that Bennis still has a lot to offer you, as you begin to navigate your way through the adult world.
After telling us why leaders are important (responsibility for effectiveness, serving as anchors, providing integrity) and reminding us that leaders are not managers, Bennis discusses the importance of knowing oneself and being responsible for oneself in terms of education, actions, and reflection. Bennis then launches into a chapter on “Knowing the World” in which he discusses the importance of a broad education, coupled with a native curiosity. (He also mentions dominating mothers, but we won’t go there, right?) Bennis discusses the importance of an intellectual life, travel, friends and mentors, and adversity. Sam, you’ll like this quote Bennis includes from John Cleese: “It’s self-evident that if we can’t take the risk of saying or doing something wrong, our creativity goes right out the window. . . . The essence of creativity is not the possession of some special talent, it is much more the ability to play.”
The central chapters in Bennis’ book outline key tools that a leader needs: good instincts, a willingness to try everything, an ability to deal with change, and a capacity to working with people. Although Bennis identifies lots of troubling elements in our world today, his words reverberate with a sense of hope, along with the importance of integrity and ethics. In his introduction, he outlines four essential competencies that a leader must have. First, there’s that vision thing. If you don’t have the big idea (or better yet, ideas), why do you want to be the leader anyway? Then, he says, leaders must have a distinctive voice. I struggled to understand what Bennis meant by this for a while. Did this mean a big personality, I wondered? Further in the book, he explains that leading from voice requires trust, which is built by consistency, congruity, reliability, and integrity. Third, Bennis writes that leaders must have integrity (seems like this reinforces the voice business, but I appreciate also acknowledging this issue separately). Finally, Bennis writes that leaders must have adaptive capacity. Here is where Bennis requires leaders to deal with change, both quickly and intelligently.
Toward the end of the book, Bennis outlines his advice to young executives. He says: 1) Take advantage of every opportunity; 2) Aggressively search for meaning; and 3) Know yourself. I could only wish that mothers gave such sage advice.
Love you,
Mom
About the Author: Warren Bennis is a Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is a former university professor, consultant to multinational corporations, and the author of more othan 30 books on leadership.
Questions:
1. Are you willing to wear a sombrero?
2. Do you agree that life is no longer linear? Was it ever?
3. Bennis names four characteristics of leaders: vision, voice, integrity and adaptive capacity. Would you add anything else?
4. What does it mean to you when Bennis says that trust resides between doubt and faith?
5. Former CBS executive Barbara Corday tells Bennis that gender matters in terms of empathy, and in the way leaders see power (p. 146). Do you think there is a gender difference?
6. In Chapter 9, "Organizations Can Help -- or Hinder," Bennis lists a number of pivotal forces: technology, global interdependence, mergers and acquisitions, deregulation and regulation; and demographics and values. Which of these pertain to libraries? How should library leaders be addressing them?
7. How much of a leader is the personality, and how much is the vision? Bennis acknowledges that sometimes leaders need to leave an organization, if they are not able to lead ethically, and if their vision is no longer relevant. If a person is to be a leader, are they ultimately tied to to the vision, the organization, or to themselves?
A Short Webography:
Summaries and Reviews
www.bizsum.com/OnBecomingALeader.htm
The BusinessSummaries website is a pretty good of the first edition of the book. Andrew Gibbons, a management developer from Gloucester, UK, wrote the summary. It is available on his website at:
www.andrewgibbons.co.uk/documents/BECOMING_002.doc.
www.butler-bowdon.com/onbecoming.html
This is the website, 50 Classics, which has another summary of the first edition.
Here’s a review on Epinions:
www99.epinions.com/content_182715190916
www.amazon.com/Becoming-Leader-Leadership-Classic-Updated-Expanded/dp/0738208175
This Amazon entry has lots of info on recent edition, including 22 consumer reviews, as well as several book list summaries.
Biographical Info on Bennis
Basic resume info on Bennis can be found at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Bennis.
From the USC Trojan Family Magazine, a collection of articles printed in 2000 on Waren Bennis. You can begin with “Leading Man: A Festschrift for Warren Bennis” and find additional links at
www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/autumn00/Bennis/Bennis.html.
A Little More Bennis
Here’s an essay by Bennis, “The Leadership Advantage.” It is not from the book, but has lots of good food for thought: www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/L2L/spring99/bennis.html
Dec. 18 Discussion
Book: Hammond, Jerry B. Harvey. The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management. 1996.
Preliminaries: We were a smaller group of five for this discussion, as a number of people had conflicts with the upcoming holidays. Marshall led our discussion, which could have continued into the evening once we got going. We ate holiday cookies as we discussed the book.
Book Discussion: Although the group touched upon the essays, “Eichmann in the Organization” and “Encouraging Managers to Cheat,” most of the discussion centered on the essay “The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement.” Almost everyone had a story related to the trip to Abilene, and one group member who wasn’t able to attend even sent word that this was one of her/his main workplace issues.
One group member shared a story about faculty layoffs at the small college where she once worked, and how the college’s head of finance manipulated the Abilene Paradox to build supposed consensus around the layoffs. She also noted that library schools sometimes have to deal with this. Another group member talked about the prevalence of the paradox in certain cultural groups, where many important issues are overlooked, ignoring that “the emperor has no clothes.” In addition to the “Emperor has no clothes,” another group member mentioned the play “Doubt” as a story that deals with the potential of people to act contrary to what they know.
Group members agreed that some reasons for a trip to Abilene include group think, top down dictates, plain old politeness and even organizational structure. One person asked: “How do we get people to try things they don’t usually want to try?” Possible ways to address the issue include being objective, and approaching the issue without making personal. Discussants agreed that some things are worth advocating for, while sometimes the appropriate response is to let go . . . and go to Abilene.
Something to Think About:
Harvey says that the road to Abilene often begins with “mismanaged
agreement” rather than “coercive organizational pressures to conform.”
Ina library setting, what is the difference between the two? Do
managers sometimes intentionally manage in a way that avoids agreement
Preliminaries: We were a smaller group of five for this discussion, as a number of people had conflicts with the upcoming holidays. Marshall led our discussion, which could have continued into the evening once we got going. We ate holiday cookies as we discussed the book.
Book Discussion: Although the group touched upon the essays, “Eichmann in the Organization” and “Encouraging Managers to Cheat,” most of the discussion centered on the essay “The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement.” Almost everyone had a story related to the trip to Abilene, and one group member who wasn’t able to attend even sent word that this was one of her/his main workplace issues.
One group member shared a story about faculty layoffs at the small college where she once worked, and how the college’s head of finance manipulated the Abilene Paradox to build supposed consensus around the layoffs. She also noted that library schools sometimes have to deal with this. Another group member talked about the prevalence of the paradox in certain cultural groups, where many important issues are overlooked, ignoring that “the emperor has no clothes.” In addition to the “Emperor has no clothes,” another group member mentioned the play “Doubt” as a story that deals with the potential of people to act contrary to what they know.
Group members agreed that some reasons for a trip to Abilene include group think, top down dictates, plain old politeness and even organizational structure. One person asked: “How do we get people to try things they don’t usually want to try?” Possible ways to address the issue include being objective, and approaching the issue without making personal. Discussants agreed that some things are worth advocating for, while sometimes the appropriate response is to let go . . . and go to Abilene.
Something to Think About:
Harvey says that the road to Abilene often begins with “mismanaged
agreement” rather than “coercive organizational pressures to conform.”
Ina library setting, what is the difference between the two? Do
managers sometimes intentionally manage in a way that avoids agreement
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