Process Essay: How To Be An Effective Leader

“Active members of this profession, in whatever arena, show that they have the commitment and the enthusiasm to lead libraries of the future” (Gordon, 2004, p. 52). “If you want to develop as a leader, participating in a committee is a good starting place” (Kern, p. 7). “A lot of leadership development happens through active participation on committees...” (p. 6). “We learn through our experiences. Being on a committee or chairing a committee only gets you so far as a leader” (p. 7). “Observation and reflection are one way to improve your own leadership skills” (p. 6). “Demonstrating love and respect for the cause is also an essential component of leadership. It conveys a sense of personal wholeness and adherence to standards of equity, justice,

In leadership, that can mean being on various committees, boards, and participate in associations. It takes a great leader to accomplish much. It takes even greater dedication to have success. Being focused, exercising power, showing initiative, and being persistent is only the beginning of leadership. You have to be open-minded, seek services, find simple solutions to benefit all, connect to the community, and develop partnerships that can expand the services of the organization. Being a leader is being a role model for those who are seeking to advance in this profession. Emphasizing teamwork and encouraging change can be enlighten through committees and associations geared towards improving the profession to be able to withstand a changing society; specially a society that it steadily moving to the technology fast-paced field. Being involved and becoming part of a committee or association has its advantages of gaining an idea of how changes affect employees and gather feedback on the challenges of being a leader

The victory is not how much money or assets the organization wins but how much of an impact you have on those who seek services from your organization and leave there with a fulfill or purpose. There is no one way or right way to lead. There is no one theory practice that a leader must follow in order to see success. Leadership is earned by those who go the extra mile and exceed above and beyond what is required of them without being prompted. Strive to improve your own skills to become a stronger leader in whatever aspect or position you find yourself in any given type of library. “Be a visionary, set goal, look for new ideas” (Misakian, p. 16). A leader seeks out strengths of their employees without blocking growth and they maintain confidence in their skills. They allow those who follow them to think out of the box yet they can redesign a process when those major decisions need to be implemented. As a leader, you should be seeking replacements for your position. In this, you should be looking for the next great leader; a protégé. Most great leaders are mentors and take it not for granted that they have those who value their judgment and vision. No leader wants to be remembered as one who lacks skills, lacks knowledge, lacks the ability to guide, and lacks the ability to enhance on