How can all museum professionals (emerging and veterans alike) serve as true leaders in their organizations, regardless of their respective positions? While the action of taking the lead" better prepares us to evolve into traditional leadership roles, that may not be the most important reason to do it. Join us to discuss what it might look like to flatten organizational hierarchies, lead from the middle, cultivate learning organizations, as well as seek and promote opportunities (not necessarily titles) for leadership. - Mary Kay Cunningham, Visitor Experience Specialist, Dialogue - Lorie Millward, Curator of Curiosity and Director of Education, Thanksgiving Point - Carmia Feldman, Assistant Director, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden - Randy Roberts, Deputy Director, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art

1. Leading from the position you are in
Western Museums Association 2015
Mary Kay Cunningham
Visitor Experience Specialist
Dialogue Consulting
Randy C. Roberts, PhD
Deputy Director
Jan Shrem & Maria Manetti
Shrem Museum of Art
Carmia Feldman
Assistant Director
UC Davis Arboretum &
Public Garden
Lorie Millward
Curator of Curiosity &
Director of Education
Thanksgiving Point

2. How do you define a “leader”?
What does it mean to
“lead from the
position you are in”?

3. Leading from Where You Are
Randy C. Roberts, PhD
Western Museums
Association 2015

5. “Leadership is taking initiative
on behalf of shared values”
Richard Couto, PhD

6. Keshia Thomas’s story:
What is means to lead from where you are

7. My Story
REPUBLICANS BLAST STATE MUSEUM FOR SLATING GAY FILM
FESTIVAL
Tim Beidel Staff writer
PUBLICATION: Times Union, The (Albany, NY)
DATE: October 3, 1991
Some Republicans have attacked the State Museum for scheduling
next week's lesbian and gay film festival, but a museum director said
the films are thought- provoking looks at issues surrounding
homosexuality.
On Wednesday, state Sen. Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, said, "I
recognize that people have a right, and I respect their right, to their
own lifestyles. But I don't think it's appropriate for the state to spend
money promoting a lifestyle that is not the lifestyle of the majority,
especially at a time when we don't have enough money to fund
education and schools and youth programs and drug rehabilitation
programs."

8. Opportunities to lead

9. What is your story?

10. Setting the Stage for Leadership in
a Learning Organization
Carmia Feldman, PhD
UC Davis Arboretum and
Public Garden

11. UC Davis Arboretum
and Public Garden

12. What is a Learning
Organization?
Peter Senge- Strategist of the Century
• Shared Vision
• Systemic Thinking & Systems Maps
• Mental Models
• Continual Learning & Experimentation
• Distributed Leadership

13. Drucker process
(2001-2002)
Over 4000 people from
stakeholder groups
• Campus
• Community
• Region
Vision 2012
• Improve the visitor
experience
• Enhance the
Arboretum as a
learning resource
• Strengthen
academic and
scientific connections
_______
 Translate the work
of UC Davis to the
public
Shared Vision

14. Systemic Thinking &
Systems Maps
Academic
Programming:
Learning &
Discovery
Public
Engagement
UC Davis
Arboretum and
Public Garden

15. Mental Models

16. Continual Learning

17. Experimentation
Pilot Projects
Experiment above the
water line…
“Don’t sink the ship!”

18. Distributed Leadership
Shared Leadership Co-Creation

19. Transformation
Lorie Millward - Curator of Curiosity - Thanksgiving Point Institute – Lehi, Utah

20. Cultivation

21. Tiers to Gears

22. Benefits

23. Co-evolution

24. Questions for panelists?
Questions for panelists?

25. Group Discussion
 Where are your opportunities to lead
from the position you are in?
 What issues/ideas are you uniquely positioned to
take a leadership role in addressing?
 If you are in a leadership position, how
can you create space for others to lead?