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Rosalea Moore

LSC 502: Management of Library and Information Centers

Managers vs. Leaders

Dr. Lauren Mandel

April 30, 2013

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King Manager is the ruler of Libraryland. He does not do a very good job. He assigns his subjects tasks

without caring about what they are good at, or what they are interested in. He looks over their

shoulders when they work, and he yells at them for making mistakes or doing things differently than he

would. He does not like it when they do things without asking him first.

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The people in Libraryland are not happy. They do not have freedom or respect, and they find it very

difficult to help the visitors who come to their kingdom looking for truth, knowledge, and information.

Since King Manager took over the kingdom, people have stopped visiting. They just don’t find it to be a

useful or interesting place anymore. They’d rather go to Libraryville (it’s farther away, but they have

eBooks!).

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One day, King Manager was in his office putting together a budget that suited his own needs and no one

else’s when a pink glittery fairy popped right into his office.

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“Goodness!” he exclaimed. “Who are you and what are you doing here??”

“I am Fairy Trustee,” she said, “and I am here because this place has no leadership, and if you don’t

make some changes right now the whole land is going to be devoured by a ferocious dragon who just

happens to be on his way right now.”

“No leadership!” King Manager cried, “I am the leader! I am the King Manager, responsible for everyone

here and all the work that they do (Stueart & Moran, 2007)!”

“I don’t deny that for a minute. You certainly have authority over all your subjects, and use them and

the land’s other resources to work toward the goals of your country (Stueart & Moran, 2007). But there

is a big difference between being a manager and being a leader.”

“There is?” the King Manager asked.

The fairy said, “Yes. And it’s your lack of leadership that is preventing this whole operation from being

successful and will ultimately cause Libraryland and all its people and information to be eaten by a

dragon.

“Karen Muller (2013) once said that the ‘skills of leadership encompass far more than marching at the

Head of the parade’ (p. 66). I’m sending you on this quest so you’ll learn that being a leader doesn’t

always mean being in charge.”

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With a wave of her wand, King Manager’s crown and kingly clothes disappeared, and he was just a

regular Libraryland subject like everyone else. And with one last POOF! Fairy Trustee was gone.

The Former King Manager went into his kingdom and shouted at his subjects to help him take arms

against the approaching dragon. But no one could help. “I don’t know how to take up arms,” some of

them said, “All I know how to do is catalog.” Others insisted that they could not do anything without

permission from the King Manager. No one could listen to a regular subject yelling at them about

approaching danger. The Former King Manager knew he would have to do what Fairy Trustee said, and

learn to lead these people in the fight against the dragon. He looked up at the Leader Mountain and

thought that was probably a good place to start.

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Former King Manager climbed about halfway up the mountain and discovered a cave. Carved in the

stone above the mouth of a cave were the words “Suit of Emotional Intelligence,” and right outside was

a sign that read:

“‘Emotional Intelligence…has recently been identified as a significant characteristic of

leadership’ (Chow & Rich, 2013, para. 5).’ The Suit of Emotional Intelligence will provide wearers

with interpersonal skills that they can use to inspire, motivate, and relate to others.”

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He entered the cave. In the first chamber was a pair of steel gray gloves and a sign that read Gauntlets

of Empathy: “Wearers of these gauntlets will possess ‘compassion with a focus on people, openness to

change and flexibility…and a need to recognize and be attuned to the humaneness of people that allow

one to hear both their words and body language’ (Chow & Rich, 2013, para. 26).” He put on the

gauntlets and felt ready to get to know his subjects, to understand what they needed from their jobs

and lives, and to treat each one like an individual.

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In the next chamber he found the Helmet of Communication: “‘Possessors of this Helmet will be skilled

at ‘listening to and reflecting on others’ desires when deciding what steps should be taken’ and they will

be able to ‘communicate ideas that make sense and inspire others’ (Chow & Rich, 2013, para. 28).” He

put on the helmet and instantly understood the importance of sharing information with all his subjects.

He knew in order for them to best serve their country and its visitors, he needed to both listen to his

subjects’ ideas and concerns and provide them with enough information to make good decisions.

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In the very last room of the cave, Former King Manager discovered a great iron suit of armor chest plate

on a pedestal marked Plate of Delegation. Written on the pedestal was, “Those who wear the Plate of

Delegation will develop ‘the ability to recognize different areas of responsibility, organize a project, and

delegate appropriately, recognizing that others may have the best ideas. It also’ helps that person with

‘being a cheerleader, enthusiastic, and comfortable in his/her role so that one is not threatened by

letting everyone else in the organization use their talents’ (Chow & Rich, 2013, para. 31).’” He put on the

plate and felt ready to let go of some of his control over the work that needed to be done in Libraryland.

He knew that if he got to know his subjects and asked them to do work that suited their interests and

skills, they could do a great job.

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Wearing his Suit of Emotional Intelligence, the Former King Manager went back to Libraryland and

communicated with his former subjects. He got to know them as people, what were their strengths and

skills. He listened to their ideas for the kingdom, and offered them words of encouragement and

support. Before long, he suggested they go together up Leader Mountain to find any information that

could help them defeat the dragon.

The people of Libraryland follow Former King Manager almost all the way to the top, where they found Vision Outlook. From there, they could see the almost the entire country and the dragon, still far away in the distance but coming closer every moment. The subjects got nervous. But Former King Manager saw nothing but possibility. Standing at Vision Outlook, he realized that he needed to give his people and his country a direction to move in, a goal to work towards. Without vision, there was no reason for them to exist, and if he was going to be a leader he needed to be the one to make them see that vision (Mastrangelo, Eddy & Lorenzet, 2004).

Former King Manager stood up in front of his people and declared, “This is not the end of Libraryland!

Together we can defeat this dragon and move toward once again becoming a great land where people

can make themselves better lives! Follow me to the top of the mountain!”

And there, at the very top, they discovered a great stone palace. A flag waving at the grand entrance

read “Castle of Motivation.” Every room inside was filled with weapons—lances and spears, bows and

arrows, daggers and swords—that the people could use to fight against the dragon. Former King

Manager helped his subjects pick out weapons, and he himself chose a long blade with jewels in the hilt

and the name “Inspiration” inscribed along the edge. He knew his people, they had a shared vision for

the future of the kingdom, and now they possessed some of the tools necessary to achieve their goals.

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Wearing the Suit of Intelligence and standing in front of an army of subjects inspired by the vision of the

future they saw from the Outlook and armed with weapons of motivation, Former King Manager knew

that even though he no longer had a cape or a crown, he was a leader. He, and his people, were ready to

face the dragon.

They returned back to Libraryland just as the dragon crossed the walls. Former King Manager shouted

out the battle plan, which called for each individual to use their personal strengths and skills where they

would have the most power against the dragon. The Former King Manager also shouted out words of

support and encouragement, and made sure everyone knew that they could make new decisions as the

battle went on. He continuously reminded them that they were fighting for the future of their kingdom

and everyone who needed it.

After a fierce fight, the dragon was killed and the people celebrated! But it was not long before a gloom

fell over the crowd.

“Why aren’t you celebrating? We defeated the dragon! Our future is bright again!” Former King

Manager cried.

“Our King Manager has been missing!” a subject explained, “We know that when he returns, we’ll have

to go back to not knowing anything, not being able to meaningfully contribute to the country, and not

caring about what happens to it in the future.”

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But then POOF! Fairy Trustee was back. She smiled brightly at Former King Manager and congratulated

him on discovering what it took to become a leader.

“Managers are given positions of authority, but that does not always mean they use their power to

benefit the people beneath them or the organization they are a part of. Leaders do not need a fancy title

or assigned authority in order to inspire people to work together toward a common goal. But there is

value to people who are both managers and leaders.”

Once again, Fairy Trustee waved her wand, and the Former King Manager was once again wearing his

regal cape and crown. But he didn’t feel like King Manager anymore. He felt like something so much

more meaningful.

“You are King Manager-Leader now, and this is an important role. You know how to empower and

motivate your people and lead them toward a positive future for themselves and the entire community.

But you also have the authority to make decisions that affect the entire population; you can use all the

resources of the country to keep your subjects happy and working hard, and your land serving the

visitors who need it (Stueart & Moran, 2007),” said Fairy Trustee.

King Manager-Leader thanked the Fairy, and the people cheered. They knew that with a ruler who had

both the skills and the authority to lead their country with thought, understanding, and a dedication to

service, they all had a bright future.

THE END

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References

Chow, A. S., & Rich, M. (2013). The ideal qualities and tasks of library leaders: perspectives of academic,

public, school, and special library administrators. Library Leadership & Management, 27(1/2), 1-

24.

Mastrangelo, A. Eddy, E. R., & Lorenzet, S. J. (2004). The importance of personal and professional

leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(5), 435-451.

Muller, K. (2013). Librarian’s library: leadership and advocacy. American Libraries, 45(3/4), 66-67.

Stueart, R. D., & Moran, B. B. (2007). Library and information center management (7th ed.). Westport,

CT: Libraries Unlimited.