Looking for and Learning From Leadership Stories | Leading from the Library; Library Journal, 2/26/14

Steven Bell, Library Journal; Looking for and Learning From Leadership Stories | Leading from the Library:

"There are many ways to learn about leadership. One we may overlook is stories of great leaders—and sometimes leaders who faltered. If great leaders are learners, leadership stories have much to offer...

Leadership stories can come from anywhere. What makes Collins’ work, and that of other notable authors who mine this territory, worth reading is the sheer creativity that goes into uncovering and sharing great stories. He then artfully connects them to the research that lends credibility to the findings...

Library leadership stories

Perhaps the best leadership stories are the ones that happen in our own profession. While none of them may find their way into the general leadership literature, we know the good ones when we see them. They feature library leaders who have turned around difficult situations and created library success stories in their communities. It may be the story of a frontline librarian who recognized the need for a valuable service, and combined newfound resources with persistence to make it happen. Perhaps it’s just a story about taking a stand for what’s right. They may lack the glamour of the stories of great leaders past and present, but we take inspiration from them. They encourage us to take risks and perform acts of leadership courage in our own libraries. They give us the strength to persist for a good cause. They drive us to be better for those we lead. Those are the stories that stay with us."