Leadership Superpowers

The days of leaders who "just keep the doors open" are over... it's time to rock the boat a bit and that takes leadership skills that can even be called...superpowers! Why the demand for stronger leaders? Because libraries that aren't moving forward and surprising their communities with everything from inspired staff to creative services are destined to sail right into oblivion. Our libraries' futures depend on all our leaders - new, veteran, future, and in every position - taking their skills beyond the nuts and bolts of standard management into the superpowers of impactful leadership. Get ready to become a "super" leader and take your team, your department, your career, and your library into an exciting, super-charged future!

In this course, learners will grow the superpowers of:

• Respect: by recognizing the library's fundamental values and historical brand
• Courage: by committing to forego the status quo in order to enhance institutional value
• Confidence: by becoming risk-takers who confidently facilitate foundational change
• Empathy: by learning to see and understand how to support real needs and build a strong culture and team
• Accountability: by seeking out and fulfilling the needs and aspirations of all users
• Nurturing: by growing the leaders of tomorrow

Course Description: At the completion of this 6-week course learners will be more aware of and ready to activate their leadership superpowers. By completing the assignments, learners will practice being respectful, courageous, confident, empathetic, accountable and nurturing. By the conclusion of this course, Catherine Hakala-Ausperk will help learners to recognize their own leadership super strengths and development goals.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: Being (super) Respectful
  • Respect and acknowledge prior achievements
  • Recognize contributors, past and present
  • Acknowledge brand/reputation (keep or change)
• Week 2: Being (super) Courageous
  • Clearly articulate your vision
  • Clarify expectations
  • Commit to moving forward
• Week 3: Being (super) Confident
  • Recognize reasons for fear of change
  • Celebrate risk-taking
  • Emulate success stories
• Week 4: Being (super) Empathetic
  • Develop working communication channels (both through listening and speaking)
  • Institutionalize training and growth
  • Maintain a healthy culture, respectful of equity and diversity
• Week 5: Being (super) Accountable
  • Establish diverse feedback channels
  • Engage – connect staff to the community of users
  • Utilize an ongoing evaluation process (including problem-solving and effective discipline)
• Week 6: Being (super) Nurturing
  • Identify positive leadership qualities
  • Offer ongoing development to all positions
  • Utilize mentors

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 2 ½ hours per week, for a total of fifteen course hours. Each week's module contains a recorded presentation, readings and various options for assignments, discussions, or online meetings. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: This course is for anyone who is or wants to be a leader in today's and tomorrow's library.

Are you a member of ARSL? If so, you may be able to sign up for a free seat in this course. Limit is four free seats per course. Make your request here and if a free seat is available you will be notified.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at: infopeople.org/training/online_learning_details.

After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.

Keywords: leadership