As the Project Director of this $1m grant that addresses the library leadership development needs of public and academic librarians in South Africa, it's been an absolute privilege to meet and work with 120 public and academic librarians. The unexpected opportunity to extend my stay in Pretoria due to the unexpected ill health of the Project Co-ordinator, Martha de Waal, has enabled me to get to know better my fellow Rhodes colleagues, Jill Otto, Thandiwe Menze, Nicolene Mkhathali and Vatiswa Nhanha (Cory Library).
The programme of the Academy is designed to provide a variety of activities that stimulate individual and group participation. These include formal presentations, workshops, leadership tools, group simulation game and external visits. The discussions and debates around the topics has been lively, engaging, thought provoking and stimulating, so I sincerely hope that this energy will continue when colleagues get back to their offices.
I'd like to share two thoughts that resonated with me:
1. Be a RARE leader - reliable, accountable, responsible and ethical! Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata, Executive Director: Libraries, UNISA and IFLA Governing Board Member
2. What defines a team? Mutual goal/s, individual responsibility and positive interdependence. Prof Johannes Cronje, Dean: Faculty of Informatics and Design, CPUT.
I must admit that after a day of intense mental and intellectual engagement, group observation and running around, I really feel physically exhausted but exhilarated in the knowledge that we will be able to go forward as a profession with a core of purposeful librarians.
1 comment:
Congratulations on what sounds like again, a great Carnegie funded Academy. I liked the comments re 'RARE' leadership, particularly the ethical dimension, and the definition of a successful team.
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