Posted on by hildaweisburg

Quiet Doesn’t Have To Go Unnoticed

You know it’s important for others to view you as a vital part of the educational community. But what if you are an introvert? How can you get your message out when you are uncomfortable speaking up and actively sharing your accomplishments?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how extroverts can benefit from using some of the strengths of introverts (Leadership Strengths of Introverts). These are the strengths you use naturally. For example, you are likely a deep and aware listener. You are good at tuning into what the teachers are saying or hearing the places where your principal is struggling. This awareness is a powerful skill when used purposefully. Knowing what others want and need, seeing where your skills can support them, allows you to help them get it. You don’t need to talk. Just do.

In her article, How to Get Noticed at Work as a Quiet Person, Jessica Chen, author of Smart Not Loud: How to Get Noticed At Work For All the Right Reasons, provides several suggestions you can use to support your success:

  • How you talk about your wins – Telling people how great you are or how well a program did is very uncomfortable for you. This isn’t necessarily a problem, since people often discount what they hear if they feel it is bragging. What you can do that will feel more comfortable is focus on the success of those you worked with. Talk about something the students created or about the teacher who worked with you on a learning project.
  • Spend time – Which teachers are considered stars? Which ones talk up about the great things they have done? Make it a point to spend time with them and find ways to collaborate with them. They will spread the word. They always do. And this time, you will be included in what they are saying.
  • Find your differentiating factor – Chen asks you to take the time to identify what it is you like to do and comes easily to you. Chances are, this is something that is challenging and/or less fun for others. Don’t discount it because it’s easy for you. This is your superpower. Once you know what it is, stop and think about who can benefit from it.
  • Link your talent to opportunity – Listen (already one of your skills) for more opportunities where you can offer your superpower to help someone. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to call it your superpower.) Knowing how to meet people’s needs and wants is a great way to get noticed by them. When you work in collaboration, there are more people to talk about the success – which means you can say less.
  • Expand your reach – Think bigger. Look for school and district committees where your talents and skills support their long and short-term goals. Once on the committee, do what you do so well – wait, watch, and listen. You will soon see ways you can help and once you do, your contributions will be noticed.
  • Advocating for yourself – Promotion yourself can be a huge challenge for introverts. Chen suggests using the acronym ACCT to guide you.
  • “A” is for Asking for what you want – Things won’t be given to us just because we work hard. Only you know what you need. Get clear, get specific, and ask. Your ongoing success depends on your speaking up for yourself.
  • “C” is for Circling Back – Most of the time you won’t get an immediate answer to your ask. This means you need to ask again. It shows you are serious. Go back to your clarity. They didn’t respond because of their priorities, not because the answer is no.
  • “C” is for Celebrate Your Wins – This is neither boasting nor something that has to be done “loudly”. If a teacher sends you a note about how a lesson has impacted further learning by students, after thanking her, forward it to your principal. (I also keep a Success Journal to keep me empowered.)
  • “T” is for Turning Down Requests – You have to know when (and how) to say “no.” If you take on everything you will soon be overwhelmed, and your work will suffer as will your personal mental health. You won’t have the ability to advocate for yourself. Instead of saying “no”, offer alternatives.
  • Speak up in meetings – I can almost hear the panic. This can be a real challenge for introverts, but Chen has an answer: The 4 A Sequence (and only three of them require you to say anything):
  • Active Listening – Use this skill to listen for the right moment to enter the conversation.
  • Acknowledge – Your first statement should make reference to the previous speaker. You can concur if you agree or say something neutral if you are about to disagree.
  • Anchor  – Having acknowledged the last speaker, use a few words from what the person said in introducing you comment or idea. The connection makes your response fit in the context of the meeting.
  • Answer – Now say what you have to add to the conversation. Stick to the point. Make it brief.

You have amazing skills and strengths. Being an introvert doesn’t change that, but they could be hidden. Look to see which of these steps are ones you feel you could incorporate. Soon, you will feel safe stepping out of your comfort zone, and your community will see you as the leader you are.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Becoming a Great Leader

Which one of these have you heard before?

  • Leadership is a never-ending journey.
  • If you are not growing, you are dying.
  • Good is the opposite great because if you think you are good, you will never be great.

These have been touted so many times that they have become dulled in our minds. But they are adages because they contain truth. As a leader, you can never be complacent about your achievements. Yes, be proud of what you’ve achieved and all that it took to get there, but this doesn’t mean you can stop working hard. There is always more.

Another aphorism can be your next step: Leaders don’t make followers. They make more leaders. The more school librarians who are leaders, the greater our overall impact on our school communities and on the larger local, state, and national communities. Yes, national. Thinking big is important. We need to have the national communities see school librarians for the vital role they have in education and our students’ future.

This means finding ways to bring up other leaders. In an article, Rena Harvey presents 5 Ways Leaders Can Unlock Their Potential to Inspire Others. She notes that, “becoming a great leader requires self-awareness, continuous learning, and a commitment to personal growth.”  To do so, Harvey says you must work on these five areas: understanding your core values, developing emotional intelligence, embracing lifelong learning, fostering resilience, and cultivating a vision that inspires others.

Understanding Your Core Values – Reflect on both your personal core values as a librarian as well as the ALA Code of Ethics, the Library Bill of Rights, and AASL’s Common Beliefs. Our values ground and support us as leaders, guiding us as we make decisions and choices. There is strength in knowing other librarians are holding the same values. Because they are always present, others know who you are and what they can count on from you. It shows your integrity and that of the profession.

Developing Emotional Intelligence – We are in the relationship business. Our emotional intelligence is part of what allows us to communicate effectively with others and build relationships. People respond to us because we “see” them. It helps us make decisions as we understand how it will impact others. Harvey adds that your emotional intelligence allows you to stay calm under pressure and respond to challenges with a clear mind rather than reacting impulsively.

Embracing Lifelong Learning – We are role models for lifelong learning. Anyone who has been in the profession for five or more can look back at our careers and see the many changes. We have embraced the challenges and changes, teaching ourselves when possible and seeking other ways to become proficient in the changes. We have adapted, pivoted, and helped our students, teachers, and sometimes administrators in finding their way in our ever-changing landscape. And we have looked for feedback to improve and refine that learning.

Fostering Resilience – An integral part of the changes we have had to make is becoming more resilient. We hold to our core values to anchor us. We draw on our librarian colleagues and state and national organizations for help. They strengthen us like the giant redwood trees whose shallow roots are interconnected with others, allowing them to grow to great heights in the face of high winds. Despite the challenges, we work on having a positive mindset, remembering the importance of self-care.

Cultivating a Vision That Inspires Others – I am always inspired by AASL’s Vision – “Every school librarian is a Leader; every learner has a school librarian.” In essence this blog is my contribution to inspiring other school librarians to be leaders – and great ones. Review your vision to ensure it’s big, showing your commitment to a better tomorrow. Visions are about what it would be like in a perfect world. No, you will never attain it. You are not supposed to. It’s working toward it and inspiring others to join you in your journey.

We are living in difficult times. Fortunately, you are all leaders and together we will meet the challenges of our roles and our audience. Each day we have the opportunity to find at least one way to be a stronger leader and inspire others to do the same.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Look For What You Can Control & Change

As much as we’d like it not to be the case, there is frequently more we can’t control than we can. And what we can’t control seems to be on the increase. You may be feeling frustrated by a declining or nonexistent budget. Or tired of having more tasks added and less time to do what you know is important. There are many things out of our control, but we are in control of how we react to them.

All these challenges are real, but you can work with them and make them better. Like turning thrift store or yard sale finds into treasures, you can take what you have and with a few additions — and a mindset shift, always key— transform it into something beautiful.

In her article, Not happy with your career? Get scrappy, Julie Winkle Giulioni explains how you can change negatives into positives and make your job a better fit for your Vision and Mission. She defines “scrappy” as “using what’s available and within a person’s sphere of influence, enriching their current roles, getting creative, and wringing every ounce of development from routine activity.” By being scrappy, you can make the small changes that result in turning the job into more of what you want it to be and gain control in challenging situations.

Giulioni recommends the following four techniques:

  • Practice with Purpose – Reflect on what you do as part of your job. How can that be improved? For example, maybe you want to update your collection in a specific area, but you have no budget for it.  Giulioni suggests these three steps:

Set an “Intention” – In this case, it might be to explore funding sources used by other librarians. Maybe looking in thrift stores or at www.paperbackbookswap.com for inventory.

Plan – Find ways to use your Professional Learning Network (PLN) to find out what others have found successful. You can ask them what advice they have for making their pitch have an impact.

Reflect – Just like we look for essential questions in the lessons we present, check to see if you notice the questions you didn’t have answered, the ones you couldn’t know about. Then, the next time, you can do a better job in refining queries to your PLN.

  • Seek Out an Opportunity Zone – Professional Development (PD) may not be giving teachers and others in your community everything they need. For example, you may be concerned about how to use AI and ways it might currently be misused. To help, you might explore the issue, again using your PLN, and prepare a one-page infographic you can submit to your principal. Call shortly after you have given it to them and ask to discuss some way to deal with AI, recognizing both its positives and negatives. See if there’s a way to present what you’ve learned to others.
  • Optimize Your Extracurriculars –Use what you do outside of productively. You might work on an advocacy committee with your school library association. If that seems a bit beyond you, see what help you can give the person who is handling advocacy. And look to see where your other interests intersect with ways you want to grow your program. As you cook, you may think of ways to bring in new ingredients to your work. As you garden, you may realize the importance of patience and creating a rich soil.
  • Soak It Up – Become a conscious observer. See who gets heard and watch how they do it. Notice who is liked and who isn’t. Can you tell what about them brings out those reactions in others? By doing this, you are creating your own PD. You will find yourself adapting better to situations and being noticed for the right reasons. It will be not only a career but a life lesson.

Of all the things we can control, the most important is our outlook. Change your mindset. Take a pro-active approach to turning your job back into one where you look forward to going to work. Being scrappy will bring you more benefits – and make you a better leader.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

The Leadership Strengths of Introverts

Looking at the people we admire as leaders, it seems as though they are all extroverts, easily speaking up in public, connecting with people at meetings and conferences, presenting at events. Although some leaders are extroverts, just as many powerful leaders are introverts and are capable of becoming meaningful leaders using their strengths and talents.

Loud is not always better. On occasion, it might drown out what other people are saying and feeling. Or even intimidating so that ideas aren’t shared and people feel unheard. As librarians and leaders, we strive to build relationships. Not hearing other people is not the way to do it.  It is in the small daily interactions that introverts excel and demonstrate their leadership.

If extroverted is more your style, take time to learn these strengths of introverts from Benjamin Laker’s article, The Quiet, Transformative Power of Introverted Leaders. And if you identify as an introvert, take time to appreciate what you bring to leadership.

  • The Strength of Listening – While extroverts are busy dominating the conversation, introverts are quietly listening to what others are saying. They more easily recognize the different perspectives which are so important when you are trying to make connections with teachers, students, and administrators. When they do speak, it comes from this awareness and their stakeholders feel heard. As an extrovert, I am constantly fighting an inner war to close my mouth and open my ears. Introverts do it naturally.
  • The Power of Thoughtful Decision-Making – Extroverts want to get their idea in first. This can become a problem because they are likely to put forward their plan before having considered all the issues and viewpoints involved. The first response might not be the best response. Because they are more likely to have considered the feelings, needs, and concerns of others along with the situation as a whole, when an introvert makes a decision, it has a better chance of being the right fit. Again, this serves us in building relationships which are so vital.
  • Leading Through Empathy – Because they listen and observe, introverts are more tuned to the worries, fears, and needs that are behind what others are saying. Introverts are then well-positioned to present an idea or solution that will speak to these issues behind the words people say. As Laker writes: “Introverted leaders excel at one-on-one interactions, where they can connect deeply with individuals, understand their motivations, and offer personalized guidance.” Our stakeholders then feel listened to and cared for.  Empathy is powerful in making the connections that turn into relationships.
  • Striking a Balance: Introversion and Extroversion in Leadership – There are times when an extrovert’s strengths are needed. You do need to be able to speak up, so others hear you. Blending the two, introversion and extroversion creates a powerful leader. Recognize which is your natural style to remind yourself when you need to be quiet and listen and when you need to speak up and speak out. Know your strength but cultivate its complement to maximize your impact on your community and your program.

There is no one way to be a leader, and neither extroversion or introversion is inherently better. As Laker says in his conclusion, “leadership is most effective when it embraces a diversity of styles.” Be the great leader your students, teachers, and community need you to be by embracing the things you do well and learning from the style of others.