Rick Anderson is University Librarian of Brigham Young University, a "chef" at The Scholarly Kitchen, and the author of several books, including _Scholarly Communication: What Everyone Needs to Know_.
There may occasionally be issues that are "too important" for civility, but they are few and far between in the library -- and, ironically, civil discourse is more likely to lead to better resolutions than the alternative.
Leading and navigating organizational change requires leaders to exhibit both firmness and kindness. How do you strike the right balance?
People in meetings use many different gambits to try to avoid subjects or issues they don't like. Leaders need to be ready to step in and keep the meeting on track.
When you're a library leader, you often have the right to make more unilateral decisions than it would be wise for you to make. What principles underly the effective exercise of executive power?
You know what? Niceness matters.
It's important that everyone be heard; it's also important that direct influence over programs, policies, and decisions be based on organizational role and expertise.
