Developing Library Leaders: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Coaching, Team Building, and Mentoring Library Staff

摘要

In my first professional position more than eighteen years ago, I heard, quite often, the “dire” predictions about the retirement of the Baby Boomers and the likely dearth of capable library leaders in the aftermath. It was a topic of concern, naturally. As my career progressed, I kept an ear open for opportunities that might assist me in developing my leadership skills, as well as for mentors who might share their experiences. Each year brought more occasions for organized and systematic activities—workshops, seminars, and institutes—designed to build or enhance leadership qualities. It seemed that the adage “leaders are born, not made” was being discarded for a more practical philosophy: that leadership is an acquired set of skills that can be developed.