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.