...the best library leaders I’ve known have loved their jobs and people too... To be an effective leader you have to believe in your cause and care about the people you are leading.Are you a leader or a follower? Why do you do what you do? Do you have a vision that you want to achieve? Sometimes, the best way to answer a question is to just point to someone. Whom would you point to? Would you like to follow in your boss's footsteps?
—"The Pope, Leadership, and Me" by Lisa Ennis (LIScareer.com, May 2005)
Leaders do not necessarily have followers in the beginning. You can be your own leader even if you're all alone in your library. Eventually, if you are successful and people start taking note of what you've done (and believe me, they will not notice how precisely you've cataloged the books, so start focusing on your customers' needs), your circle of influence will expand and "followers" will just come in the form of customers, supporters, donors.
Be proactive. Begin with the end in mind. Live what you believe.
For more information, see "Business leaders can learn from pope" by Claudio Luffoli (USA Today, 4 April 2005) and the summary of Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People.
Related posts:
Librarians as Leaders
John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005
