1. Become a Catalyst for Change
2015 Nevada Library
Leadership Institute
Presentation of Recap
by Carrie Gaxiola of the
Great Basin College Library
October 2015

2. Disclaimer
• This is NOT my material!
• This material has been directly taken from the
2015 Leadership Institute that took place in Las
Vegas, West Sahara Library, Sept. 17-18, 2015
• Credit is due:
– Robbie DeBuff – Organizer, Library Consultant,
Nevada State Library & Archives
– Rivkah Saas – Keynote Speaker
– Felton Thomas – Keynote Speaker
– Other presenters: Amy Dodson, Sena Loyd, Arnie
Maurins, Stephen Platt, Kimberly Clanton-Green

3. Topics we will discuss
• Leadership
– Characteristics of good leaders
• Change
– Facilitating change
• Examples of
the above

4. Why Leadership?
Because someone has to do it! We must always adapt!
1. Libraries are always changing
2. Stay relevant, or perish (we are good at this
already, but we must keep it up!)
3. Identify your strengths and opportunities
4. Identify strategies to facilitate change and
improvements
5. Identify community opportunities
6. Identify and understand challenges associated
with opportunities and change

5. Leadership
• What is a leader? What is leadership?
Noun
– a person or thing that leads.
– guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political
group.
– the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or
directs a group:
– ability to lead
– an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction
– the leaders of a group
• Synonyms: authoritativeness, influence, command,
effectiveness; sway, clout.
(hmmmm… what do you think about these synonyms?)

6. Think of someone you consider a leader.
What characteristics do they possess?

7. Think of someone you consider a leader.
What characteristics do they possess?

8. What is Common?
All workshop participants brainstormed
characteristics of great leaders. There was a
theme:
• NOT afraid to take risks
• Okay with making mistakes; not afraid of failure
• Understands/Empathetic to PEOPLE (People skills were
a reoccurring theme!)
• Supportive, humble, PASSIONATE…
• Identifies SOLUTIONS
• Positive attitude
• Shares and gives credit

9. • Understanding that leading people is a process
and no two groups or projects are the same
– Flexible!!!
– Accept defeat as a challenge
– Respect diversity of thought
– KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS
and USE THEM!
(Others strengths too!)
– Understand the goal and
the benefits
Foundational Skills of Leadership

10. Boss or Leader?

11. • Influence others
• Support the leader (exercise w/rock paper
scissors)
• Others need opportunity to lead
• Accept defeat easily – back to supporting the
goal
• Respect diversity of thought
• TAKE RISKS!
Other tips…

12. • Try, “YES, AND” instead of “no because…”
• Try, “Why Not?” instead of “Why?”
• Try new things!
• Mistakes are lessons, good for us
NO 
Nobody likes working
with or for this guy
More!

13. Case Study: Leading Change

14. Case Study Continued…
• What was wrong with her approach?
– Understanding the benefit and making this clear
– Communication with the team
– Use of jargon
– Demands change, does not lead or explain
– Does not understand, nor know her team she is
leading – there is a huge disconnect
– Anything else?
Bad Leadership = Resistance

15. • Speak their language
• Understand their jobs and the process
• Obtain buy in by presenting benefit!
• Value difference in opinion and people
• Be flexible! Don’t panic, go with the flow!
• Be open to ideas! Staff have great ideas! (some
directors pitched a “Talk to Director Day”)
• Be Observant! WHO will this affect? What will be
effected? Be sensitive to this!
What she could have done…

16. How can we facilitate change?
• Describe the issue (the opportunity)
• Demonstrate the solution in clear terms
• Obtain buy-in of stakeholders and participation
• SHOW the change
• Break down into small, digestible components
easy for everyone to understand
• Behavior change takes reinforcement
• CELEBRATE Achievements!!

17. Case Study of Facilitation of Change

18. What he did right…
• Stated the issue clearly
• Proposed solution
• Obtain participation
• Broke down components
• Demonstrated solution
• Demonstrated again, reinforcement
• Incorporated humor
• CELEBRATE! “Saved paper!”

19. We
saved
200,000
pieces of
paper
This is what we saved!
Visual help show success!
or

20. Or …. Look at our accomplishment!
We saved enough paper towels to conserve all of these trees!

21. Stories and Storytelling
• Tell your story
• People remember stories
• Example:
– 20 kids graduated alternate high school this year
ok, but will you remember this more?
– This girl right here dropped out, father was incarcerated,
her mother had died of cancer, she took
over the care of her siblings, never graduated,
met this librarian who convinced her she CAN
make the time and succeed, she had to
work two jobs and get tutoring to make it.
She is now a school counselor for troubled kids.

22. *Stories are powerful and EVERY library has one!
*Some librarians at the workshop were thinking of hiring storytellers to assist in
getting their story out!
*Visuals Help!

23. Examples of Change from the Workshop
• Movie wall
• Smart board with story time
• Living creatures in library
• Events: Q Prom, Comicon, Anime festival, open
mic night
• Outdoor garden
• Teen space: HOMAGO
• Maker Spaces

24. Services
• Circulate THINGS
– What is near the library?
• E.g., park nearby  circulating Frisbees
• Where is there a gap?
– Gardening (CO, garden plots for rent)
• Focus Groups
– ASK the users and especially the NON USERS

25. Tornado Warning: Four Roles of Social Change
It’s goal is to build appreciation of the different roles, gaining empathy
for all roles and different approaches to change.
1. Helper
2. Advocate
3. Rebel
4. Organizer
• https://www.trainingforchange.org/tools/tornado-
warning-four-roles-social-change-0
Four Roles of Social Change:

29. Want to know more?
Recommendations:
• “The Imagineering Workout Paperback” by The
Disney Imagineers
• “Change the way you see everything through
asset based thinking” Katheryn Cramer
• “The End of Leadership” Barbara Kellerman
• “Bad Leadership” Barbara Kellerman
• TrainingforChange.org

30. fin