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Slow and Mindful is More Powerful Than You’d Think

You know it’s important that your school community sees your contribution as invaluable. To continue to bring value to your school, are you always looking for what you can develop next?. Maybe you heard about some great programs other school librarians have developed. What about maker spaces, gentrification. There are a lot of choices. But where are you going to find time to add the research and development necessary in your jam-packed day?

Good news. You don’t need to get overwhelmed by a large-scale project. You can take a much easier approach, and Julie Winkle Giulioni tells you how. The title of her blog article, Water Always Finds a Way – And So Do Good Leaders gives away the secret. It’s not about working hard to move big obstacles out of our path. Forward motion followed by consistency will make the impact you want/

The All-Or-Nothing Trap – We have all read about these leaders who came on the scene, scrapped whatever was in place, and rebuilt this incredible business from the ground up. Giuliani says that way lies paralysis. You figure you can’t do that, so you do nothing. Slow isn’t the opposite of bold. Methodical steps get you where you want to go, usually with less stress and frequently with more connections and support made along way.

The Approach I Thought Was “All Wet” – Giulioni recalls a manager she thought didn’t have enough drive. Instead, the manager “spent time engaging in conversations, building relationships, [and]shifting perspectives.” Sound familiar? We’re in a relationship business. Consider how those activities fit in our inserting the library into the daily needs of our teachers and administrators.

Reflecting on the manager’s actions, Giulioni realized the success achieved was much like what she had observed on a trip to the Costa Rican rainforest. Although it was the giant waterfall that captured attention, it was the rivulets that carved the terrain. It did so “over millions of years. working around barriers, exploiting soft spots and carving deeper wherever it found opportunity. Persistent. Patient. Purposeful. And, as a result, powerful.”

To be powerful, take these three lessons from water:

  • Bypass the boulder – Boulders don’t move easily, but “there’s almost always a crevice nearby to start working your way through.” Is your principal ever going to listen to your goals for the library? Maybe not But working with teachers who are enthusiastic about what you are doing, and what the kids are learning will bring it to their attention, particularly when they hear about it from others then come in to observe a lesson. Is it a teacher who feels their class is too important to “waste it” on library time? Move around that teacher and work with those who are enthusiastic the benefits.
  • Start small – It only needs to be one teacher with whom you start. It won’t overwhelm you, will lower the stakes on success as well as give you the early success that will keep you inspired to continue. If you can, within this project, find something the principal is interested in and send any brief articles that would capture their attention. Aim for once a week but not on a schedule.
  • Measure momentum, not magnitude – The water keeps flowing, and you need to do the same. Slowly, but continually keep going. Little by little your “flowing water” will create the changes you are working for. As Giulioni says, “Consistent, purposeful action compounds over time in ways that single bold gestures rarely do.”

I know it’s hard to keep going between the demands of the job and the outside forces adding stress. But we can’t afford to do nothing. That way leads to librarians being removed from their positions and too much is at stake to our communities. You can be a bold leader without making constant giant changes. Just be like water: Persistent. Patient Purposeful.

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Lower the Stakes for Greater Success

The title sounds like an oxymoron. All the science tells us that positive thoughts and big, clear goals are what we need for success. But what if some of the things we’re striving for are a little too much? Then we “fail” and starting again or moving forward becomes harder. Especially if teachers or our administrator knew what we were trying to achieve. Always reaching high not only creates stress but long term it can lead to burn out, neither of which is helpful when we need and want to keep going.  We need to be careful not to doom our future by overreaching our capabilities.

In her article “How to Win by Lowering the Stakes” for Psychology Today, Chitra Ragavan illustrates why and how lower stakes can allow us to reach bigger goals. She contrasts the mindset and results of Olympic Figure Skaters Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu to make her points. For our uses, I will build some examples that align with our community’s needs.

Defensive Pessimism vs. Strategic Optimism – Ragavan explains, Defensive Pessimism is a psychological technique that has you lowering expectations to reduce pressure on achieving the desired outcome. This is what Liu did and it lead to her gold medal. By contrast, Strategic Optimism is when you set the bar on high and reject all negative thoughts which is part of doomed Malinin in his long program. When you launch a big project, such as school-wide reading club focusing on multiple genres to engage the entire student body, a Defensive Pessimist expects only one or two teachers to buy in. When three sign up – you’ve beaten the goal! On the other hand, a Strategic Optimist might create a presentation and flyers for a faculty meeting with a sign-up sheet ready to hand out and be disappointed and frustrated when only three teachers buy in.

Lowering the Stakes – To put lowering the stakes into action for your reading club project, you might start by seeking out teachers who love reading and already make good use of you and the library. Then, use the first year as a pilot project. Any participation is a win. Have a celebration at completion to build support and excitement for the next year.  It could take several years and need changes, but you would get there with less pressure and more pride. And others would see the growth over time. Ragavan says, “You can be physically and technically at your peak. But in the end, self-confidence and the ability to psychologically lower the table stakes in high-stress environments are the real advantages.” This approach takes the best aspects of both ends and makes your goals less stressful, yet still achievable.

And finally, what doesn’t work is Redemption Competition – This would be striving harder, setting the bar even higher to redeem yourself at a future moment or with the next goal. The likelihood that this will increase your stress—and probability of failure—are high and probably not worth it. In addition, the attitude of needing to “prove” yourself, adds to the chances of a public defeat. Instead, use a setback as an opportunity to learn and then set a goal like a Defensive Pessimist,

Lowering the stakes, lowers your stress. We all know it’s more than high enough these days.  You can successfully reach your desired outcome by relying on your ability and self-confidence. You know what you bring to the school community. Far too many schools don’t have school librarians. We can’t afford to lose any of us, either for being unable to show our value or because we are totally burned out. The kids and teachers need us. Look for ways to lower your expectations and hit even bigger goals.

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Spreading Joy

It’s National Library Week and the theme is FIND YOUR JOY embodied so wonderfully by “The Internet Librarian” and children’s book author Mychal Threets (and expressed in his book I’m So Happy You’re Here – A Celebration of Library Joy.). In recognition of his joyful advocacy and dedication to library life, Mychal has been honored with numerous awards: the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association, inclusion in School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2024 Webby Award for Social Impact, and a spot on TIME’s inaugural 2025 list of 100 Creators.

Joy isn’t a topic we hear about much these days. But it should be and it can be, no matter how challenging it feels for us and the people we serve. Can you think of at least a few of those moments now?  A student getting excited about a book you showed them or finding just what they needed for a research project. A teacher realizing that your collaboration lead to a greater success than they anticipated. Maybe your principal being grateful for information you gave them that they were able to use at a school committee meeting.

Unfortunately, most days joy is far from what you are feeling and hard to connect to. But joy can be a powerful tool and finding ways to tap into it can turn difficult situations around. In her SmartBrief article “The joy gap: What’s missing in the modern workplace, Amy Leneker takes up the challenge of changing our environment. She offers these insights on joy.

The Myth that Widens the Joy Gap – Leneker begins with myth that, “Stress is the price we pay for success.” Even before politics became a more common part of our library lives, we experienced stressed. We serve students, teachers, and the administration. Ours is a high pressure career, but if we lose our joy in what we do, we lose our “Why” for becoming a librarian, and are less successful in what we do. Leneker points to neuroscience studies showing that when the brain is stressed it has “less capacity for creativity, learning, connection and strategic thinking.” Each of these abilities is critical to being successful and serving your library community. Its time find our way back to looking forward to coming to work each day, or as many days as possible.

Where Joy Actually Comes From – Quoting Catherine Price, author of The Power of Fun, Leneker share that fun comes from a connection between playfulness, connection and flow. It is a“lighthearted attitude, creating a special, shared experience with others and committing to being active, engaged and present.” This is something that is very inline with creating a space that is welcoming to all. Bright colors, relevant topics, ways to have fun with what students are there to learn brings joy into the library and people’s days. We can share our successes and wins and encourage others to share theirs. And, instead of watching body language to recognize when someone is depressed or worried look for signs of happiness and joy in others then ask them what has put that smile on their face. Joy reigns when it is shared.

Science-backed practice – New and Good – It’s not surprising that sharing good news “triggers dopamine…improving mood and openness. Hearing others’ good news has a similar effect.” Yet most us of start conversations with what’s going wrong. Leneker suggests setting the tone of a situation by starting with some positivity. Asking, “What’s good today?” Or asking about a hobby, movie or favorite thing of the person you’re talking to will immediately bring more joy to your relationships and connections.

Start with Simple, Low-effort Wins – Small moments the bring joy can have long lasting results. Smiles, appreciation, meaningful compliments even when you are just passing someone in the hall has an impact. Start meetings discussing achievements, congratulate students and teachers at the beginning of a lesson. Leneker says to consider looking at where success and joy might have a place in your Mission Statement of Vision. “Our library is a place of joy where…”

Closing the Joy Gap Is a Leadership Choice – Leneker says, “The joy gap isn’t inevitable. It’s the result of cultural choices.” Instead of trying to work harder, focus on the joy of learning, growing, and living. Spread the message as you go through the day. We tend to avoid people who are stressed and always busy. That won’t strengthen and build our relationship with teachers. How many students have avoided asking you questions because you seemed too busy or serious? Start with joy and see where it takes you.

My tip? Create a Joy Journal. Note when you have a “win.” Keep track when something or someone makes you laugh. Take time to notice something that brought lightness to your day. There is truth in the saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Look for ways to bring and encourage joy and watch what blooms.

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The 5th Law of Library Science

In 1969, Laurence J. Peter proposed what has become known as “The Peter Principle.” It basically states that in the work world people rise to their level of incompetence. They get to the highest position possible and from there, don’t have the skills to advance further. By contrast, in his SmartBriefs article Avoiding the Peter Principle, Paul Thornton says, “Effective leaders do the opposite; they continue to learn and adapt.”  The key, he writes, is adaptability and growth mindset.

To do this, he has several recommendations and I’ve added my usual comments aligning them with working in a school library. I’m saving the connection to the title until the end of this blog. Many of you will have figured it out.

Keep learning – Most of you do this every day as you discover new tools and sources. Thornton points to the value of learning from experience. He says, leaders “see mistakes, feedback and unexpected outcomes as data and ask, “What can I learn?”’ As we tell our students, FAIL can be thought of as an acronym for “First Attempt In Learning.” One more way to keep learning is to be open to learning from your students. They live at technology’s edge. When I was working as a high school librarian, my library council was a font of information. And they loved that they were teaching me. Consider keeping track of what you learn each day. Much is added to our store of knowledge that we don’t realize has occurred. By recording it, you see where and how you acquired the information. The log will also help when you do your regular report to your principal.

Keep adapting – Paraphrasing Darwin, “it’s not the fittest who survive—it’s the most adaptable.” When things go wrong with technology and it’s crunch time, you adapt. When your principal makes a change in your schedule, you adapt. Thornton identifies these traits in leaders who cannot adapt:

  • They dismiss evidence, trends or feedback that suggest a different approach is needed.
  • They become defensive when challenged.
  • They hide behind rules and policies instead of exercising judgment.
  • They discourage experimentation and punish mistakes. 

Unfortunately, if it’s the administration that has those traits, we must adapt by developing strategic plans to move them off their negative mindset.

The payoff – As Thornton rightly says about those who keep learning and adapting, “They spot opportunities more quickly, respond faster to changing circumstances and make smarter decisions.” Equally important for us, he says, “In addition, people are more willing to follow leaders who demonstrate a commitment to learning and the courage to keep evolving.”

And now to turn back to the title of this blog. If you have a degree in Library and Information Science, you learned about S. J. Ranganathan who in 1931 published The 5 Laws of Library Science which are:

1. Books Are For Use
2. Every Reader His/Her Book
3. Every Book Its Reader
4. Save The Time Of The Reader
5. The Library Is A Growing Organism

All are still valid, but in this case, it’s the fifth law we must remember. An organism that isn’t growing is dying. We need to use every tool and skill we have to keep growing, adapting, and learning. When we do this, we continue to rise and live into our Vision.

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Three Steps to Handle Pressure

Leaders are always dealing with pressure. It goes hand in hand with working toward a powerful Vision. But the short-term pressures can be unendingly draining. Every day as you walk into your school, you wonder what new situation is going to hit the fan. The anxiety often pervades your time with family and friends. If you live where you work, even shopping can be a challenge.

It’s unhealthy to live that way, and it keeps you from being your best, not only with students and teachers but outside of school. You need a way to deal with pressure that will help you thrive rather than feeling as though you’re clinging to each day with your finger tips.

We can’t control what happens. We can only control how we deal with it. Our focus must be on our Mission (purpose) and Vision (ultimate goal). In her article Under Pressure As A Leader: Three Tips On How to Succeed, LaRae Quy (who I’ve referenced before)offers these tips to achieve that:

  1. Plan for the worst – This doesn’t mean preparing for doom. It is anticipating what might happen and how you will respond. Quy suggests you ask yourself, “How would I respond if…” [then} Work through potential work scenarios using visualization.” For example, what would you do if you’re greeted by a parent as you enter the school, brandishing a book from your library and calling it filth. Your first step is acknowledging their concern then lowering their tone. Say something like, “I understand you are concerned about your child. Let’s go into the library and work on fixing this.” You can be prepared by having the Action Toolkit from Unite Against Book Bans and other additional resources from AASL and your state school library association.
  2. Follow all leads – Then we’re in a challenging place or faced with a difficult situation, we tend to do what is most familiar. But is that the best choice? Is there something new you could try. Back to the original example, you have a method of handling that potential book banner. Has anything changed since you made that plan? Are there people who can help you come up with other methods? Start with your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Ask what they have done to deal with confrontations or any other issues putting pressure on you. What helped them build support with parents. If the book banner plans on attending a Board meeting, will any of your potential advocates be there to speak up for the library.
  3. Think of the long term – This is why having Mission and Vision is key. It can help you remember what you’re striving for when the moment is challenging. Focusing on what’s immediately in front of us can cause narrow thinking which leads to mistakes that affect the future. Don’t do something today that is against your values, even if it alleviates the immediate pressure. It will come back to bite you. As Quy says, “Focusing on the long term helps us develop better coping and decision-making skills, as we rely more on cognitive strategies, such as self-control and problem-solving, rather than impulsive emotional reactions.”

To add to Quy’s tips, I want you to remember the lesson of the redwood trees. They have shallow roots yet manage to stand tall in the heavy winds. They do it by intertwining their roots with other redwoods. Don’t go it alone. We are stronger together and when there are people around you who understand the pressure you’re under, it’s not quite as bad.

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It Starts With You

I so happy to be back after being in rehab following a fall. I felt a short blog post would be a good way to get back up to speed. And this is a topic I strongly embrace.

Thriving in this challenging time for school librarians requires leadership skills. You are constantly leading from the middle as you build advocates for the library. Although there are numerous lists of leadership qualities, perhaps the most important one is the Greek maxim inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi: “Know thyself.” It’s not as simple as it sounds, but it can be the anchor that keeps you grounded as each day—and sometimes as often as each hour— requires pivoting to respond.

In his article, “Why ‘self-leadership’ will be key in the age of AI,” Andrew Bryant identifies three pillars: Self Awareness, Self Regulation, and Self Learning. Being aware of these interconnected pillars as they come into play will make your library program thrive and support you to be valued for what you bring.

These are Bryant’s explanations of the three pillars along with my comments on how they play out in our library world:

Self Awareness – To know yourself, start by questioning yourself. How do you see yourself? What are your core values? What are you trying to ultimately achieve (your Vision)? How do others see you? Think of an adjective that teachers would use to describe you. What would students say? Your principal and the administrators? What do you need to focus on to change or increase that perception? The clearer you are in your answers, the better you are able to make decisions, suggestions, and plans that align with who you are and what you want to accomplish.

Self Regulation – How are you responding to the daily demands? Review some of the ones that have been thrown at you recently. Was your response the best way to deal with them? In order to build your leadership and be valued, you can’t afford to react without taking the time to think. Those few moments can make a lasting difference. Be aware of your body language and your tone. If you are sending an email or text, re-read it and check the tone in your word choices before hitting send. Words have weight and even though you say something in the moment, they can have lasting impact.

Self Learning – This should be easy for us. Librarians are lifelong learners. But don’t just focus on learning a new tech skill or keeping up with AI. It’s about having a growth mindset so that you are willing to learn about what’s new, adapt to what’s changed, and even unlearn things that no longer serves you or your audience. When we do this, we set an example and inspire those around us—students, teachers, and administrators—to do the same and reinforce the value of the library.

This article strongly resonated with me as it affirms what I wrote in my new book, The Involved Librarian: How to Make an Impact and Thrive. The first of the three parts the book deals with being involved with yourself. Like Bryant, I’ve noticed how you can’t move outwards until you have a deeper understanding with yourself. If you want to grow as a leader, look inward and grow from the power and knowledge you already have.

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Gratitude is a Leadership Skill

This is the season for gratitude, making it the perfect time to incorporate it into your leadership toolbox. We may not have a lot of ways to reward people for a job well done, but expressing gratitude is easy once you get started doing it, and it leads to huge returns.

There are lots of ways to notice what you have to be grateful for and, from that, what you can acknowledge others for. I live this by keeping a gratitude journal. I record three things for which I am grateful every day. Some are small – such as the manager at the place where I go to fax who gave me a discount – and others are large – like my health. After my list of three, I add one way I give back such as contributing to the community food bank. Some of my give-backs are smaller, such as curating and sharing articles of interest to school librarians or offering a meaningful compliment.

It turns out that expressing gratitude is more than a good way to get along with people. It is biologically beneficial, as Scott Hutcheson explains in his article, The Most Overlooked Performance Hack? Gratitude. His post describes the physical benefits as well as why it is so often neglected. Here are the facts that support his claim:

The biology of gratitude – Hutcheson says, “by retraining the brain to focus on what’s working rather than what’s missing. The effects ripple through mood, motivation, and even physiology.” I have long believed and seen that the world is like a mirror. When you smile at it, it smiles back. Apparently, it also triggers the production of the powerful neurochemicals, dopamine and oxytocin, resulting in motivation and trust. Both are vital in our dealings with students, teachers, administrators and any with whom we interact. The result is the recipient enjoys working with you, leading to increased opportunities to build on. Studies show that meaningful gratitude makes people feel fulfilled. Gratitude calms stress and increases our empathy and willingness to work with others. In other words, recipients feel positive which increases their satisfaction with life. I personally find that by taking the time to appreciate all I have going for me, the problems I face feel less heavy, and I can honestly face the world with a smile.

Why gratitude disappears at work – We live in a world that evaluates rather than appreciates. Our feedback comes from observations, and there is little or no appreciation unless we achieve some type of reward. As Hutcheson says, “gratitude functions like exercise. It only works if it’s consistent.” Probably the best principal I ever worked for would send a “kudos” email to the whole staff to acknowledge a teacher for doing something great or getting a grant or award. It felt so good to be noticed and appreciated for one’s work. Additionally, it built staff connection and support. We would invariably compliment the teacher who earned the “kudo” knowing that we too might be similarly acknowledged at work. This appreciation and its benefits outside of evaluations.

With my additions, here are the three types of gratitude Hutcheson:

  1. Relational gratitude: This is direct-to-one thanks. Make it specific. Hutcheson says it builds trust, and as I often state, trust is the foundation of relationships.
  2. Reflective gratitude: Build in time at the end of a cooperative or collaborative project to reflect on what worked and what can be improved. Acknowledge how the other person, usually the teacher, helped you do your job and contributed to success.
  3. Restorative gratitude: There is a place for gratitude when the project didn’t succeed as well as planned. Our colleagues are under as much stress as we are. It matters when we let them know we recognize their challenges. Point to what was learned in the process. If appropriate, suggest where you can do more of the heavy lifting next time, but only if you think that won’t stress you out.

The leadership advantage – Your “goal is to make gratitude habitual rather than performative.”  Try keeping a gratitude journal to exercise that “muscle.” Practicing gratitude does not require extra work, and the benefits it brings to your leadership is immense. People like being and working with a person who is grateful and acknowledges it.

When you practice gratitude, you benefit as well. It gives you a more positive mindset in the midst of the challenges and stresses you face. I’ll end this blog by saying thank you to you, my reader. I appreciate your recognizing my passion to help make school librarians be viewed as an invaluable element in the success of students and teachers.

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I Believe In…

How did you fill in the next word? There are many good answers to that question. But you are likely not to have thought of the one you should. The sentence that will serve you best as a leader is, “I believe in Me.”

In my soon to be published book, I identify nine attributes we need to have and employ in our three communities to thrive in these (and even simpler times). The first of the three communities is ourselves. We live in our heads. What we think shows up in how we interact with others.

The very first of the attributes is Confidence which gives us the self-trust necessary to do everything else. In her Middle Web article (a website all about Middle Grades!), Self Trust: A Leader’s  Most Valuable Tool, Jen Schwanke, Ed.D. concurs with my thinking and explains why this is so important. In her book Trusted she writes about how leaders need to be trustworthy and trust willing. “But the final chapter in the book deals with one relationship many leaders often neglect: the trust we have with ourselves…. Cultivating self-trust isn’t just a nice idea — it’s essential for our well-being.” She offers four ways to build it. Here they are with my usual tweaks:

  1. Lead with a mix of confidence and humility – Take an honest look at your knowledge of what your job entails. You know how to do it. Draw on that knowledge to build your confidence. Your students and colleagues recognize your ability and count on it. At the same time, self-confidence doesn’t mean you know it all. You can learn almost as much from your students and their projects as they do. Teachers will give you insight into their subject areas. Your principals, good and bad, can teach you much about leadership. When you recognize this, people are more comfortable working with you.
  2. Manage our emotions and don’t rush to react – Responding fast to a new issue doesn’t mean it’s the best approach or plan. The fires we are rushing to put out are not physical fires. We don’t need to save lives. Think first. Check with your PLN or mentors for more ideas. And as Schwanke points out, each time we successfully manage a crisis, we build our confidence and self-trust.
  3. Consider all perspectives when making decisions – Our world isn’t neat and tidy. Changing one thing will affect something or someone else. Schwanke cautions us to recognize, “we may not know the full story.” She further adds that remembering this “prevents impulsive judgment and allows us to gather more information. It builds trust with others because it sends the message that we won’t be impulsive, that we won’t always take one particular side, and that we care about all perspectives.” Notice your biases and be willing to learn.
  4. Give credit away – I deeply believe in this. When you give credit away, you get it back many times over. Remember, the job of a leader is to build more leaders. A teacher who now feels confident and comfortable with you will seek you out in the future and recommend you to other teachers. A principal who recognizes how you have strengthened their reputation with their bosses is more likely to listen to your requests for funding. As students see their own successes, they feel more confident in tackling more challenging explorations.

Confidence and self-trust are at the root of your ability to grow and thrive. You have what it takes. Believe in yourself and watch as others do, too!

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SOAR When Speaking to Your Principal

You need to have a relationship with your principal in order for your library to thrive. So how is that relationship going? Do you have a strong, positive one where your principal supports everything you do? Or do you have one who claims to believe in libraries but is not fully aware of how they have changed. Maybe your principal feel you are not very valuable and a drag on the school budget. If you and your principal share common values about what the school library is and needs to be, you don’t have a problem. But if your relationship falls into the second or third category, how do you change it to be more like the first one?

In their article Dealing With a Difficult Boss for Psychology Today, Wes Adams and Tamara Myles write about the importance of “managing up,” ways to deal with managers who are challenging and/or unproductive. Many of us have experienced difficulties in getting through to principals who hold to preconceived ideas and attitudes about libraries. Adams and Myles recommend a SOAR approach to open communication. This may help to build that important relationship. Here’s their explanation of putting SOAR to work along with my usual tweaks to align it more in our education world:

S-Shared Goals – Start by drawing on what you have in common. Students are at the core of what you both care about and support. But there are other common areas you might address, such as keeping parents included in their child’s education or supporting the mandates of the Superintendent of Schools who is concerned about test results.

O-Opportunities – Point to what can be used to reach those common goals. You both want the school budget to pass. Look for ways to show the value the library brings. Your library can be a perfect location to welcome the business community. They can be invited to share the skills of their trade with students in a related class, such as a business class or a course on future careers. They might also be willing to sponsor an author visit which in turn would bring the local newspaper to cover it, giving the business publicity and the school some vital community visibilily.

A-Alignment – Turn these opportunities into a true conversation by drawing you principal into the discussion. What do they like about what you have presented? What questions do they have? Do they have recommendations for improvement or modifications? Don’t become argumentative with any of their proposals. This is a time to see how to incorporate their suggestions, deepening your professional relationship.

R-Results – Share your goal for the outcome of whatever you have proposed. Let the principal know you will be keeping them posted on how things are going. Make sure they know both the progress and final results. You can do it in meetings or via email. Be open to their responses. If you don’t hear from them after emailing them, schedule a brief meeting.

Adams and Myles further recommend that “when the project is complete, remember to tie the results back to those same priorities and goals to build credibility and gain influence. Doing so consistently reminds your [principal]that you are delivering, which earns trust.” And as I keep saying, trust is the foundation of relationships.

Your relationship with your principal is vital to your long-term success, maybe even your job security. The more your principal sees you as making them look good, the faster and more willing they will approve your next proposal. You will be seen as a valuable leader and the library will thrive.

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Your Inner Voice Is Speaking Out Loud

Do you talk to yourself? Probably. Most people do whether we realize it or not. While these silent talks are about a lot of things, much of our inner conversations are about ourselves. So, here’s the important question: Do you speak kindly or harshly?

The truth is we are far more insulting of ourselves than we ever would be with anyone else. This would be bad enough if our internal diatribe remained silent, but we are unknowingly broadcasting these thoughts in our interactions with others. And the messages we are sending out keep us from reaching our full potential as leaders.

Suzy Burke, Ryan Berman, and Rhett Power deal with this common syndrome in their article, 5 Proven Self-Talk Strategies to Strengthen Leadership. In their opening, the authors state: “Leading others starts with self-leadership.” It always starts with you. You are the face of the library. Others take in the messages you send and, from there, they decide if you are sure of your goals and know how to get there. Yu are telling them, intentionally or not, whether they should trust you.  And trust is the foundation of relationship, which in turn leads to the cooperation/collaboration and advocacy you need.

Here are their five strategies along with my tweaks which makes their business focus more appropriate for us:

  1. Self-talk is the hidden saboteur of leadership. In the authors terms, we are involved in worry-wars on many levels and almost constantly. The current Worry War is, for most of us, the societal/political one which has turned the librarians and libraries into prime targets. Additional wars involve budget and staff cuts along with personal ones including financial stresses, family relationships, responsibilities, and whatever else is going on in your life. When any one of these areas show up, your self-critic starts talking and the negative talk adds to the worry.
  2. Every leader has a monster. Many of us, me included, see how talented, skilled, and resourceful other librarians are. We compare and see ourselves as falling short of them. But that comparison is a monster lying in wait. The authors say, “That voice doesn’t just shape your day, it shapes everything.” It shows up in how you hear, what you believe of yourself and how you respond. You do not want to leave this “monster” in charge of your work.
  3. Your mindset isn’t fixed. As lifelong learners, we understand this. Many of us have successfully changed a negative mindset into a positive one. The authors acknowledge that since you will never keep the negative mindset away forever, they offer a three step approach to make the need shift: Catch – Identify when a monster is taking over. Your anxiety is one way to recognize its presence; Confront – Challenge you mindset with facts. For me, it’s when the word “never” is in my thoughts:, Change – Now reframe the thought with a more positive, truthful one.
  4. There is more than one type of monster. – Just what you needed to hear.  According to the authors we must deal with these five monsters:
    • Catastrophizer -This is going to be a disaster.
    • Always Righter – This needs to be perfect, and I’m never going to get it right.
    • Mind Reader –  I know how you are going to react to this situation.
    • Over-generalizer  – This didn’t work, and it’s all downhill from there.
    • Should-er – I should have known better. And now of course, it’s too late.

      The more practice we have spotting each of these monsters within ourselves, the better we get at not letting them be the ones to lead.
  5. Self-talk can be your leadership plutonium. – When you know how to reverse (or lower the decibel level) of negative self-talk, you power up your leadership. While we are talking to ourselves, our bodies are sending out the message of our thoughts. Our face, arms, and tone of voice combine to tell the world what we are thinking—and what monster is in charge. This is why that earlier quote, “Leading others starts with self-leadership” is so important to remember.

Leaders keep growing and learning new skills. Have you seen yourself here? If so, this can be an important lesson for you to incorporate into your leadership. Your interactions students, teachers, administrators, and others you interact with will be more productive as a result. And you might just find yourself feeling better overall!