Well, I am just at the end of my course on Resourcing the Curriculum.
At the start I began to think that a lot of what we were presented with to read was a lot of teaching us what was very obvious to do. I began to wonder if I would learn anything new as what I seemed to be picking up was just clarifying what I beleived should happen.
However by the end of the course I realised just how important this subject was. Not only did it become clear how important a professional Collection Policy was but also how valuable the excercise was in writing up one specific to a particular school. I became very pleased with my final Collection Policy. I now beleive this would be one of the first areas I would look into if I happen to obtain a TL position as a TL. I now understand how invaluable a professionalCollection Policy document for a most effective and relevant library service to exist.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, October 16, 2009
Varying types of leadership
I must say that I haven't been so confronted before with so many types of leadership as presented in the Fullan text.
Not only are there so many types of different types of leaders but in order to be the most effective leader possible you have to be an expert at all types and know when and when not to use each style.
This is a real eye opener for me and difficult too as I am not good at certain styles of leadership as some styles come more naturally to me than others but it seems time now to throw away lack of ability in all styles and begin learning more aboout them all and gaining maturity in when to use each one.
It has surprised me as well that so many types of leaders exist and that they all seem to get in somehow. Why there isn't some cosmic barrier for preventing the less desirables to get in I don't know but that's just the way it is and I feel really sorry for those who are suffering under the hand of such ones.
As I have been reading, it is not just in the Fullan text that I have gain understandings of leadersship types. The writings by Donham (2005, pg 296-3-4), Cheng (2002, pg 56-57) and Beck , J and Yeager,N (1994, pg 184-206)also have revealed to me several leadership styles that have helped me to see just how wide and varied leadership needs to be in order to lead effectively.
I can also see that there is great complexity in leadership such as I have never really considered before. In reading Fullan (2004, pg 55-60) I cam confronted with the term "complexity science" and "complexities of leadership." This has got me thinking on the fact that leadership is in an environment way more complex than I had thought. Indeed I hadn't even given it much thought before but Nnow I can see that not only is leadership itself complex but so is the environment in which leaders function. And they need to become masters of it in order to be as successful as possible.And masters not just of the internal factors but external ones as well.
Not only are there so many types of different types of leaders but in order to be the most effective leader possible you have to be an expert at all types and know when and when not to use each style.
This is a real eye opener for me and difficult too as I am not good at certain styles of leadership as some styles come more naturally to me than others but it seems time now to throw away lack of ability in all styles and begin learning more aboout them all and gaining maturity in when to use each one.
It has surprised me as well that so many types of leaders exist and that they all seem to get in somehow. Why there isn't some cosmic barrier for preventing the less desirables to get in I don't know but that's just the way it is and I feel really sorry for those who are suffering under the hand of such ones.
As I have been reading, it is not just in the Fullan text that I have gain understandings of leadersship types. The writings by Donham (2005, pg 296-3-4), Cheng (2002, pg 56-57) and Beck , J and Yeager,N (1994, pg 184-206)also have revealed to me several leadership styles that have helped me to see just how wide and varied leadership needs to be in order to lead effectively.
I can also see that there is great complexity in leadership such as I have never really considered before. In reading Fullan (2004, pg 55-60) I cam confronted with the term "complexity science" and "complexities of leadership." This has got me thinking on the fact that leadership is in an environment way more complex than I had thought. Indeed I hadn't even given it much thought before but Nnow I can see that not only is leadership itself complex but so is the environment in which leaders function. And they need to become masters of it in order to be as successful as possible.And masters not just of the internal factors but external ones as well.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Moral purpose
Boy, is moral purpose an important ingredient in an organisation!!!
To do your job with conviction that one is involved in an endeavour that seeks the overall good of society is very rewarding and indeed leads to stronger work ethic and effort.
It was very encouraging to know that moral purpose is something that good and conscientious leaders are aspiring to uphold!
This is something intrinsic to us all but boy it is great to see how much of a highlight it is being given.
Indeed in the Fullan text, it is one of the 5 core elements of effective leadership. All I can say is thank goodness that we as up and coming leaders are being encouraged on a human level of leadership skills and not just had knowledge of how to go about things.
Moral purose really needs to be embraced by the leadership and indeed, not just embraced but exemplified in every interaction. It also needs to be ensured that it is addressed in the mission statement for that department and that this inclusion is in line with the moral purpose and overall values and goals of the organisation as a whole.
Along with this I have noticed that pwer and its use or abuse by those in leadership is a very important factor in how well an orgaisation runs. It seems increasingly to me that a person of a more altruistic nature is the ideal one to be vested with the honor of holding power and it is a shame that there have been many leaders who are seeking to do things from a selfish point of view.
To do your job with conviction that one is involved in an endeavour that seeks the overall good of society is very rewarding and indeed leads to stronger work ethic and effort.
It was very encouraging to know that moral purpose is something that good and conscientious leaders are aspiring to uphold!
This is something intrinsic to us all but boy it is great to see how much of a highlight it is being given.
Indeed in the Fullan text, it is one of the 5 core elements of effective leadership. All I can say is thank goodness that we as up and coming leaders are being encouraged on a human level of leadership skills and not just had knowledge of how to go about things.
Moral purose really needs to be embraced by the leadership and indeed, not just embraced but exemplified in every interaction. It also needs to be ensured that it is addressed in the mission statement for that department and that this inclusion is in line with the moral purpose and overall values and goals of the organisation as a whole.
Along with this I have noticed that pwer and its use or abuse by those in leadership is a very important factor in how well an orgaisation runs. It seems increasingly to me that a person of a more altruistic nature is the ideal one to be vested with the honor of holding power and it is a shame that there have been many leaders who are seeking to do things from a selfish point of view.
Different types of leaders
It has been very interesting for me to consider just how varying leaders can be.
I have personally experienced this and how different types of leaders in the same setting can drastically change the overall environment and atmosphere of an institution.
And now I have read in chapter 3 of the Fullan text about several different types of leaders and just how different each one is.
It is quite amazing that all these different sorts of leaders exist and that any one given organisation is at the mercy of the style of leadership allowed to operate.
Boy, leadership can really make a difference!!!!
And boy, we are as employees really at the mercy of whatever leadership we are under.
Whate surprises me is that the less desirable styles of leadership can still obtain positions of power - why can't those in the job of employing leaders be better equipped to understand who they are employing.
What this does for me personally as a possible up and coming leader is to make sure I have a very well rounded leadership style and can adapt my style according to presenting needs.
I have personally experienced this and how different types of leaders in the same setting can drastically change the overall environment and atmosphere of an institution.
And now I have read in chapter 3 of the Fullan text about several different types of leaders and just how different each one is.
It is quite amazing that all these different sorts of leaders exist and that any one given organisation is at the mercy of the style of leadership allowed to operate.
Boy, leadership can really make a difference!!!!
And boy, we are as employees really at the mercy of whatever leadership we are under.
Whate surprises me is that the less desirable styles of leadership can still obtain positions of power - why can't those in the job of employing leaders be better equipped to understand who they are employing.
What this does for me personally as a possible up and coming leader is to make sure I have a very well rounded leadership style and can adapt my style according to presenting needs.
Leaders in a culture of change
I has been a striking point to me personally that there is a clear distinction between leaders and managers
In the Fullan text on page 2 it clearly states that leadership is needed for problems that do not have easy answers.
This has got me thinking that leaders are not just good managers - they have a unique responsibility to mae sure people are aware of problems and the need to change and also to address them in a way that will bring about the best possible response from employees as possible.
Leaders are managers but also much more. They are not just managers.
On pafge 3 of theu Fullan text it states that lepasership is not mobilising others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but helping them to confront problems that have not yet been addressed successfully.
This has led to a personal relevation that if I am to be a good leader I need to be aware that I am to lead others not just to solve problems they can see and know how to answer but to direct their awareness to see andj understand that there may be problems either currently existing or coming up in the future to whcih there are no solutions yet available and upon which we all much collaboratively act.
I am not just to be a good manager but also a good insightful proactive foreseer of future problems and of problems that yet have no answers.
In the Fullan text on page 2 it clearly states that leadership is needed for problems that do not have easy answers.
This has got me thinking that leaders are not just good managers - they have a unique responsibility to mae sure people are aware of problems and the need to change and also to address them in a way that will bring about the best possible response from employees as possible.
Leaders are managers but also much more. They are not just managers.
On pafge 3 of theu Fullan text it states that lepasership is not mobilising others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but helping them to confront problems that have not yet been addressed successfully.
This has led to a personal relevation that if I am to be a good leader I need to be aware that I am to lead others not just to solve problems they can see and know how to answer but to direct their awareness to see andj understand that there may be problems either currently existing or coming up in the future to whcih there are no solutions yet available and upon which we all much collaboratively act.
I am not just to be a good manager but also a good insightful proactive foreseer of future problems and of problems that yet have no answers.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Collaborating, organisational theory and leadership as a proccess
well this has been a most productive week as our uni group has been in contact using skype and google docs to get our assignment further ahead.
Collaborating with others that you don't really know and havne't met in person has been an interesting adventure and has had some nice parts such as when we finally hear each other speak
Next weekend we are all meeting in person (apart from the one in Darwin of course) so that will even be a nicer surprise.
Our assignment has made us all get more adept at the technology we will all be using in the libraries of the future so that has been another bonus
And our thoughts have been slowly clarifying as to what it is exactly they want us to get out of this assignment.
With regard to leadership as a process I have recently been coming to understand that leadership is not an event but a process (Henri as cited by Henri, 2009,pg8. What i am finding interesting here is that this idea is pulling away from the maybe more traditional view that leaders are those that primalrily engange in negotiating specific occurennces to those that are in the process of a journey where the outcome is not neccessarily the goal - rahter the process is and what may end up happening may be a long shot from what was originally thought may happen. This is a real blessing to me personally as I get a little anxious when I need to control a situation but it appears more apparent to me that leadership is not so much about being in control of the end result as guiding all along the process to discovering answers. What a relief to someone like me who can now relax a little more and enjoy the journey itself without being so caught up in trying to reach a set goal.
Well off to another round of exploring the world of technology as it relates to our topic proposal
Collaborating with others that you don't really know and havne't met in person has been an interesting adventure and has had some nice parts such as when we finally hear each other speak
Next weekend we are all meeting in person (apart from the one in Darwin of course) so that will even be a nicer surprise.
Our assignment has made us all get more adept at the technology we will all be using in the libraries of the future so that has been another bonus
And our thoughts have been slowly clarifying as to what it is exactly they want us to get out of this assignment.
With regard to leadership as a process I have recently been coming to understand that leadership is not an event but a process (Henri as cited by Henri, 2009,pg8. What i am finding interesting here is that this idea is pulling away from the maybe more traditional view that leaders are those that primalrily engange in negotiating specific occurennces to those that are in the process of a journey where the outcome is not neccessarily the goal - rahter the process is and what may end up happening may be a long shot from what was originally thought may happen. This is a real blessing to me personally as I get a little anxious when I need to control a situation but it appears more apparent to me that leadership is not so much about being in control of the end result as guiding all along the process to discovering answers. What a relief to someone like me who can now relax a little more and enjoy the journey itself without being so caught up in trying to reach a set goal.
Well off to another round of exploring the world of technology as it relates to our topic proposal
Monday, August 24, 2009
Continued ramblings
Well here I am again after another slog of thinking, reading and collaborating.
Oraginsational theory is beginning to make a bit more sense after I picked up an article today on the Essentials of Appreciative Inquiry by Mohr and Magruder-Watkins. This has beena great article on helping our group to gain some direction into how to approach this assignment - it really emphasises the need to be positive in our attempt - not focus onwhat is not there but what is there aleady that is good and bulid on it in an imaginative creative way that brings it into existence.
We are focussing on Mission Statements as our topic and this is great as I believe Mission Statements really are at the heart of vision and therefore are little powerhouses of change if taken up seriously by the higher management teams.
We are finding it hard to get enough time to collaborate but are looking forward to a skype chat this sunday and then a gathering on the follwoing sunday to put our power point together -hopefully!
I have also been discovering the importance of seeing leaders as developing leadership qualities in others. The Fullan text (2004 pg 224) on "Leading in a Culture of Change" states" ..change leaders transfer ownership of change projects to teams of workers and then support, coach and reward them". This is fascinating ot me as traditionally leaders are seen as having ultimate power and authority where they nearly seem to hunger to hang onto thier poistion. But her we are being encouraged as up and coming leaders to let go of our greed, so to speak, or maybe its our fears of losing power, in order to lead others in a way that will trully enhance the life of the organisation
It is interesting here regarding the writing by Donham (2005, pg19) about the importance of leading from themiddle. Here I see that leadership is largely about positioning oneslf in exactly the right places to draw out and take advantage of all that is on offer. And you will only disover what is on offer by drawing i tout of people. BY leading from themiddle, a leader draws out confidence levels in all to make valuable contributions that the leader him/herself may not have come up with.
Well must go as much reading to do.
Oraginsational theory is beginning to make a bit more sense after I picked up an article today on the Essentials of Appreciative Inquiry by Mohr and Magruder-Watkins. This has beena great article on helping our group to gain some direction into how to approach this assignment - it really emphasises the need to be positive in our attempt - not focus onwhat is not there but what is there aleady that is good and bulid on it in an imaginative creative way that brings it into existence.
We are focussing on Mission Statements as our topic and this is great as I believe Mission Statements really are at the heart of vision and therefore are little powerhouses of change if taken up seriously by the higher management teams.
We are finding it hard to get enough time to collaborate but are looking forward to a skype chat this sunday and then a gathering on the follwoing sunday to put our power point together -hopefully!
I have also been discovering the importance of seeing leaders as developing leadership qualities in others. The Fullan text (2004 pg 224) on "Leading in a Culture of Change" states" ..change leaders transfer ownership of change projects to teams of workers and then support, coach and reward them". This is fascinating ot me as traditionally leaders are seen as having ultimate power and authority where they nearly seem to hunger to hang onto thier poistion. But her we are being encouraged as up and coming leaders to let go of our greed, so to speak, or maybe its our fears of losing power, in order to lead others in a way that will trully enhance the life of the organisation
It is interesting here regarding the writing by Donham (2005, pg19) about the importance of leading from themiddle. Here I see that leadership is largely about positioning oneslf in exactly the right places to draw out and take advantage of all that is on offer. And you will only disover what is on offer by drawing i tout of people. BY leading from themiddle, a leader draws out confidence levels in all to make valuable contributions that the leader him/herself may not have come up with.
Well must go as much reading to do.
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