Competency Description and Scope:

In LIS literature on the subject of leadership, there are a lot of different definitions of the word "leadership." My favorite perspective comes from authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner (2012) with the quote, "leadership is not about who you are; it [is] about what you do." People who work in the information industry need to have flexible leadership and communication skills because they often work with clients and a wide range of resources. Leaders display problem-solving skills, conflict resolution techniques, and an eye for the broader picture. Successful leaders are also strong communicators. Team objectives and challenges cannot be addressed without open lines of communication. To be a successful leader, LIS students should aim to constantly evolve and hone their leadership and communication abilities. Professionals working in libraries and archives now need to be able to communicate effectively since that's what the job market demands. The essential abilities of the profession represent this ability. According to the ALA, librarians in all settings (schools, universities, public libraries, specialty libraries, and government libraries) should be able to articulate complex ideas clearly in writing and verbally (2009). For this competency, I will fulfill the description and scope by exploring the types of communication and leadership.

Communication

Communication may take many forms, as Lisa Hussey explains in her chapter on organizational communication, including interpersonal groups, or networked, communication; informal and formal communication; oral and written communication; verbal and nonverbal communication; and more. “Interpersonal communication is generally broken down into either oral or written, which can be formal or informal,” she further explains (Velasquez, p.112). Communication that takes place verbally is also known as oral communication or spoken communication. It is often less formal than written communication, and almost all written communication has some element of formality because it is a record of the conversation. In any case, communication is the process of creating shared realities and figuring out what those realities mean to everyone.

Everyone wants to be able to comprehend people and be able to communicate their thoughts, emotions, and ideas to them in a manner that is understood. Due to conflicting ideals, expectations, or emotional states, communication may be difficult at times in our work lives. However, when done well, it can be significant and gratifying. Communication can take many different forms, depending on the situation, the people being reached, and the message being sent. A well-designed web page, infographic, billboard, or book display can be as simple as a well-written email or social media post. But in order to improve oral communication, a lot of things must be taken into account, such as effective speaking, attentive listening, and interpreting nonverbal clues. The "soft skills" needed by information professionals are comprised of both verbal and nonverbal communication abilities, as stated by Megan Hodge and Nicole Spoor (2012) who had long experience on the hiring committee for librarians. Then there's the fact that information organizations are getting more complicated as new programs, services, and technologies are added. Through communication, we want to spread a good message about the library and our own position within it requires being able to successfully communicate inside the library with not just our employees and colleagues but also with library funders, stakeholders, and community members.

Leadership

Successful organizations often adapt to new circumstances, and this is where leadership abilities come in. In order to lead effectively, one must possess a wide range of characteristics associated with leadership. Bailey (1993) identified five qualities of good leadership: having a vision, having good communication skills, learning about the organization, giving people power, and being honest. One of the most crucial skills for leaders to have is decision making, which may be the deciding factor between leaders and followers. A leader must be able to make choices, and those decisions must have important results and (ideally) a positive outcome or impact. Examining some of the recognized leadership competencies can assist LIS students in concentrating on certain information, skills, and talents as well as other trainable concepts for their own professional growth. Hirsh (2018) says that one of the best ways to be a leader at work is to use a competency-based strategy that helps workers reach their goals as a group. Within the LLAMA, fourteen core skills are identified as essential for effective leadership (ALA). The fourteen skill sets are communication, change management, team building, collaboration, partnerships, emotional intelligence, problem solving, decision making based on evidence, conflict resolution, presentation of a budget, foresight, critical thinking, ethics, project management, promotion, and marketing.

Throughout my studies, I have learned about the situational, transformational, and transactional theories of leadership. Some theorists argue that the leader is created by the circumstances. According to these beliefs, a leader emerges as a product of time, location, and situation. These ideas are connected to the general manager's situational leadership. These theories propose that the amount of leadership supplied is determined by the task at hand and the maturity of the follower. Maturity in this context refers to the follower's experience rather than age (Velasquez, 2013, p. 100: Fiedler, 1967). The connection that exists between a leader and their followers is the source of the leader's power under the transformational model of leadership. The goal of transformational leaders is to improve the conditions in which their followers work as well as the job itself. Transactional leaders, in contrast, rely on reward power to motivate their subordinates. Transactional leaders only have authority if the incentives to be granted or withheld provide value for their followers or employees. It has a somewhat smaller spectrum of impact and inspiration (Fitzgerald & Schutte, 2010: Laohavichien et al., 2009).

Initially, it seems straightforward to define leadership. People have given outstanding leadership a great deal of thought. Numerous of these concepts were formulated into theories, recorded in writing, and discussed, indicating their continued use. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list, these ideas assisted me in comprehending leadership characteristics and formulating theories. Through the development of professional leadership, LIS graduates may assist informational institutions in overcoming teamwork challenges and increasing their prospects of long-term success with leadership.

Importance to the Profession:

Information professionals must be able to communicate well. Public librarians must interact with patrons, coworkers, public authorities, and partner groups. They must communicate well in person and online. Logistical, technological, and communication problems, such as scheduling across time zones, team members with different tech skills and knowledge, and ways to settle disagreements, can make these things hard. On the other hand, forward-thinking companies came up with the technology that makes it possible for people to talk to each other online. Thus, in order to collaborate effectively in both in-person and virtual contexts, information professionals must become familiar with and proficient in the various communication methods, as well as the "softer" skills of being able to coordinate workflows across time zones, work as effectively as possible with team members with different skillsets and experiences, and make critical team decisions. The network of potential future colleagues with whom I was able to share the experience is one of the great benefits that came with attending SJSU. The lessons about leadership philosophy, project management, presentation skills, and other related topics are all very helpful. I just cannot emphasize how valuable it is. It was helpful to have a group of coworkers and team members I could rely on when I had questions, when I wanted advice, or when I simply wanted to talk about a problem or issue related to the LIS field. As a result of my involvement in these programs, I have realized that I can acquire just as much knowledge outside of class as I can inside of it and that it is essential for me to maintain communication with the people who are a part of my cohort because these individuals will eventually become my most reliable allies.

Preparation to Understand Competency M

Interaction with other people is required for the majority of the things we accomplish in life. If we want to succeed at employment and form lasting connections, we need to be competent at getting along with others. Although a lot of people believe that having good interpersonal skills is something that you are either born with or without, the truth is that these abilities can be acquired with training and practice. The purpose of SJSU and this competency is to help graduates (like myself) achieve their career objectives. I was able to organize the knowledge I gained from my studies into three primary elements by keeping this objective in mind: (1) Recognize the significance of interpersonal abilities. (2) Showcase our abilities in a manner that will help us get a job and further our careers. (3) Develop a strategy to strengthen our interpersonal skills after evaluating them. Investment in the present and future leadership development of LIS students is essential for the growth of LIS and the students, faculty, and scholars it serves. As SJSU continues its journey to a digital future, LIS students will develop the knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to improve the community. The library community is not alone in recognizing the importance of leaders and leadership to its future success. As was said earlier, leadership has been substantially institutionalized and is firmly knit into the fabric of organizational life and conversation. Thus, leadership is presumed to be the answer to the problems confronted by any number of organizations and professions, including libraries. Many of these competencies may be the focus of MLIS programs, but they may also be acquired by being active in the library community. Anyone can get to that position of leadership by paying close attention to trends, attending workshops or seminars, or getting advice from the leaders around them.