Library F.U.T.U.R.E.S.™
What Leadership Really Means in Libraries (Beyond Titles and Authority)
Introduction: Beyond the Nameplate
Walk into almost any library and you’ll find an organizational chart taped somewhere on a bulletin board or saved on an intranet site: boxes and lines, names and titles, a neat picture of who reports to whom. Charts tell you who has authority, but they don’t tell you who leads. That’s because leadership isn’t something you can diagram. It’s not the size of your office or the title on your badge. Leadership is the lived, daily practice of influence, courage, and contribution.
Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking leadership equals a role: director, manager, head of department. But if we stop there, we miss the more profound truth. Libraries, more than any other civic institution, rely on a wide range of individuals practicing leadership without waiting for permission. From the circulation clerk who smooths tensions at the desk, to the cataloger who notices a better workflow, to the children’s librarian who sparks community partnerships: leadership happens everywhere.
This piece explores what leadership really means in libraries beyond titles and authority. We’ll define leadership at the individual level, describe the different types of leadership that can be practiced in everyday library work, outline ways to develop leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities, and offer practical activities for practicing leadership, no matter your role. Finally, we’ll consider why individual leadership matters strategically, for both personal success and the vitality of libraries themselves.
Part 1: Leadership at the Individual Level
A Definition That Works for Everyone
At the most basic level, leadership is the practice of shaping outcomes, relationships, and opportunities through intentional action. A title does not bestow it: choices demonstrate it.
At the individual level, leadership shows up when someone:
Sees a challenge and chooses to address it rather than wait.
Inspires others by modeling values, creativity, or courage.
Creates momentum toward improvement, even in small ways.
In libraries, individual leadership matters because libraries are deeply collaborative systems. Books and databases may draw people in, but it’s the daily acts of influence, trust-building, and innovation by individuals that allow libraries to function as vibrant civic and learning spaces.
Leadership Without Authority
The critical distinction is that authority is assigned, but leadership is earned. A person can have authority without demonstrating leadership, and a person can lead effectively without formal authority. Think of the library aide who, through kindness and persistence, becomes the “go-to” person patrons trust. Or the IT technician who is first to explore new tools and willingly shares knowledge with staff. Neither may hold a “leadership role,” yet both influence the culture and performance of the library in meaningful ways.
Part 2: Types of Individual Leadership in Libraries
Individual leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. It manifests in multiple forms, each with its own purpose and value. Here we’ll define four key types of leadership individuals can practice, explain why each is important, and show how they contribute to both personal growth and organizational success.
1. Thought Leadership
Definition: The practice of shaping understanding and perspective by contributing ideas, insights, and knowledge.
Why It’s Important: Libraries thrive on learning and discovery. When individuals share insights, they keep the organization future-oriented, innovative, and connected to broader trends.
Example: A reference librarian who presents a short briefing on how AI-powered search tools are changing student research habits. That contribution doesn’t just inform; it challenges the team to adapt and anticipate future needs.
Activities Anyone Can Practice:
1. Teach-Back Moments – Share one new insight you’ve learned in a team meeting, even in two minutes.
2. Knowledge Curator – Compile and circulate a short reading list or “top three” articles about an emerging library issue.
3. Micro-Blogging for the Team – Start a staff newsletter or Slack post where you highlight one idea a week and invite comments.
Impact: Builds credibility, sparks curiosity, and signals that leadership is about contributing thought, not just following orders.
2. Relational Leadership
Definition: The practice of leading through trust, empathy, and collaboration, fostering healthy relationships that strengthen the whole.
Why It’s Important: Libraries are human ecosystems. The way people connect, support, and resolve conflict directly impacts staff morale and patron experience.
Example: A circulation assistant who notices tension between colleagues and facilitates a calm, respectful conversation to defuse it. That action stabilizes the team and models relational strength.
Activities Anyone Can Practice:
1. Listening First – Under challenging moments, ask, “What matters most to you in this situation?” before offering your perspective.
2. Peer Recognition – Highlight colleagues’ contributions publicly in meetings or emails.
3. Mentorship Light – Volunteer to buddy with a new staff member, not as an expert but as a guide and encourager.
Impact: Relational leadership builds resilience and trust. It turns “co-workers” into “teams” and allows libraries to weather stress with greater cohesion.
3. Operational Leadership
Definition: The practice of leading by improving systems, processes, and workflows to make the organization function more effectively.
Why It’s Important: Patrons may never see the back-end operations of a library, but those systems determine whether services run smoothly or stall. Operational leadership ensures resources, time, and effort are used wisely.
Example: A cataloger develops a new cross-checking process that reduces duplicate entries, saving hours of staff time each week.
Activities Anyone Can Practice:
1. Identify Friction Points – Keep a simple log of moments when a task feels clunky. Brainstorm and propose solutions.
2. Create a Micro-Guide – Document a repetitive process in a checklist or quick-reference sheet to reduce errors.
3. Pilot and Share – Test a slight improvement (like a new scheduling app) and share your results transparently.
Impact: Operational leadership demonstrates initiative and builds credibility. People follow those who make life easier and work more effectively.
4. Adaptive Leadership
Definition: The practice of helping people navigate change, complexity, and uncertainty with creativity and courage.
Why It’s Important: Libraries are at the crossroads of rapid shifts: digital transformation, social challenges, and funding uncertainty. Adaptive leadership ensures we don’t freeze when the future is unclear.
Example: A children’s librarian, faced with pandemic closures, experiments with digital story times, learning on the fly, and sharing lessons with colleagues.
Activities Anyone Can Practice:
1. “What If” Questions – Ask “What if we tried…?” in planning conversations, helping the team explore alternatives.
2. Debrief and Reflect – After a project, gather peers to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, framing it as learning rather than failure.
3. Model Flexibility – Take on a new tool or service area yourself and openly share both your missteps and discoveries.
Impact: Adaptive leadership normalizes experimentation, reduces fear, and builds resilience. It makes libraries more agile and ready for tomorrow’s challenges.
Part 3: Developing Your Own Leadership Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Leadership isn’t innate. It’s learned, practiced, and refined. Anyone at any stage of a library career can strengthen their leadership by focusing on three core habits:
1. Continuous Learning
Read widely: management texts, library journals, leadership blogs, even unrelated disciplines.
Attend webinars, conferences, or local workshops.
Reflect on what resonates and test one new idea each month.
2. Seeking Feedback
Ask colleagues: How do my actions impact you?
Request candid input after leading a project or meeting.
Learn to see yourself as others see you.
3. Practicing Small Acts
Don’t wait for big projects. Leadership grows from daily choices: speaking up, asking questions, supporting others.
Celebrate incremental progress.
4. Finding Role Models and Mentors
Could you observe leaders around you? What works? What doesn’t?
Could you ask for brief conversations or shadow opportunities?
Borrow strategies, adapt them, and make them your own.
Part 4: Leadership Activities by Type
To make this more practical, let’s map activities for each leadership type that individuals can practice in any role, at any level.
Type of Leadership - Activity 1 - Activity 2 - Activity 3
Thought Leadership - Share one new idea in staff meetings - Curate a short resource list - Post a weekly insight on Slack/Teams
Relational Leadership - Practice active listening - Publicly recognize colleagues - Mentor/buddy new staff
Operational Leadership - Log and propose solutions to “friction points” - Write a checklist for a common task - Pilot a new tool and share results
Adaptive Leadership - Ask “What if” questions - Facilitate post-project reflection - Model flexibility by testing something new
These activities are simple, repeatable, and scalable. Over time, small actions accumulate into visible patterns of leadership.
Part 5: Why Demonstrating Leadership Matters
For Personal Success
Career Growth: People who demonstrate leadership without waiting for authority become natural candidates for promotion.
Credibility: Colleagues and supervisors trust those who show initiative and reliability.
Fulfillment: Practicing leadership fosters a sense of agency and meaning in daily work.
For Organizational Success
Resilience: Distributed leadership prepares libraries to handle crises and adapt to change.
Innovation: Ideas emerge from across the organization, not just the top.
Culture: Leadership at every level builds a sense of ownership and shared responsibility.
The Strategic Payoff
When leadership is understood as a practice rather than a position, libraries unlock their full potential. Instead of a handful of “leaders,” they gain dozens, even hundreds, of individuals shaping outcomes in real time. That’s a force multiplier in a world where resources are limited, but expectations are rising.
Part 6: Leadership as an Everyday Strategic Practice
Think about the daily rhythm of a library: opening routines, patron questions, technical troubleshooting, programming, shelving, and meetings. Every one of these moments contains opportunities to lead. The question is not “Are you a leader?” but rather “How will you practice leadership today?”
Leadership is not an occasional grand act. It’s a set of repeated, intentional behaviors that influence culture and outcomes. Just as libraries are built on collections of many books, leadership in libraries is built on collections of many individual acts.
Conclusion: Be a Leader, Even Without the Title
The reality is simple: Libraries need leadership at every level. Not because everyone must become a manager, but because the future demands creativity, adaptability, and courage from all of us.
When you practice leadership without a title, you:
Build your own skills and career opportunities.
Strengthen your library’s culture, resilience, and effectiveness.
Contribute to the strategic vitality of libraries as civic platforms for knowledge and trust.
Leadership is not about authority. It is about action. It is about influence. It is about responsibility in the moment.
In short: Be the leader your library needs, because leadership belongs to all of us.
Point of Light (Closing)
Truth: Leadership is not a title you hold but a practice you live.
Metaphor: A library without individual leadership is like a shelf without books: empty in form, lacking in substance.
Reflection Question: Where can you lead today, not because you have to, but because you can?