A crisis tends to bring out either the best in a person or the worst, and organizational leadership is no different. A crisis shines a bright light on where a library’s leadership is lacking, and library leaders often think they need to act differently during a crisis and take a new approach to leadership. Truth is what is lacking in leadership during a crisis was lacking in leadership before the crisis, and good crisis leadership is grounded in the day-to-day approach leaders take during non-crisis times. This webinar will use the Martin Library Leadership Definition as a framework for a library leader’s approach to leadership in a crisis that is equally valid for day-to-day, non-crisis operations.
The definition states: Leadership is influencing followers through the creation and managing of organizational meaning, building and maintaining relationships, and the consistent demonstration of professional and managerial competence.
This presentation will explore the importance of each area – creating meaning, building relationships, and demonstrating competence – to library leadership and how leaders can use and develop each of these areas of leadership in a crisis.
By participating in this webinar, participants will:
• Understand the three main concepts of leadership as defined in the Martin Library Leadership Definition
• Learn the importance of the three areas of the definition to leadership
• Develop ways to improve the three areas
• Learn how to apply the definition and concepts to crisis leadership
Crisis Leadership: A Three-Pronged Approach to Leading a Library in a Crisis
Jason Martin currently serves as interim Dean of the James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University. He hold an EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida and a MLS and BA from the University of South Florida. He researches, publishes, and presents on leadership, organizational culture, mindfulness, productivity, and goal setting and achievement.
