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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article appeared in "The Southeastern Librarian" in Volume 47, Issue 4 and is reprinted here with permission of the author. The article is based on a presentation made by Pat Hawthorne at the Southeastern Library Association (SELA) Leadership Conference in Atlanta in March 1998.by Pat Hawthorne
Believing that professional associations can play a vital role in developing library leaders, the Texas Library Association searched for more than two years for a way to assist its members to develop the leadership skills necessary to manage libraries in today's complex environment. The end result of that search was TALL Texans ? Texas Accelerated Library Leaders ? a program designed to develop leadership skills in individual librarians as well as to develop future leaders for the association.
The beginnings of TALL Texans goes back to the early 1990s and James Stewart, Director of the Victoria Public Library and TLA President in 1992-1993. Stewart learned of the Michigan Library Association's Leadership Academy and felt TLA would benefit from a similar program. In 1991, TLA President Cynthia Gray appointed an ad hoc Leadership Development Committee that included Carol Bartz, Jane Gamez, Irene Hoadley, Bonnie Juergens, Antonio Martinez, Cyd Sheffy, and Mary Kay Snell. The three Texas library schools were represented on the committee by either their deans or associate deans ? Dr. Brooke Sheldon of The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. June Lester of University of North Texas, and Dr. Keith Swigger of Texas Woman's University ? as ex-officio members. Other ex-officio members included James Stewart, Cynthia Gray, and TLA Executive Director Patricia H. Smith. Elizabeth Haynes and June Kahler Berry (currently the Project Manager for the TALL Texans Program) from the Texas Education Agency and William Gooch and Jeanette Larson of the Texas State Library joined the committee later as resource participants.
The ad hoc committee's task was to evaluate other programs and make a recommendation for a TLA program that included defining the goals and content, establishing the selection criteria, evaluating possible sites, outlining costs, investigating funding options, and clarifying the role of the three Texas library schools. After reviewing the Michigan Library Association's Leadership Academy, the New Jersey Library Leadership Institute, the Snowbird Leadership Institute, the UCLA Fellows Program, and leadership programs at Texas A & M University and at the local level in Texas, the ad hoc committee made a recommendation to the Texas Library Association Executive Board in July 1992. Central to the proposal and recommendations was a recognition of the importance of leadership to individuals, libraries, and the profession. In their report, the committee wrote:
In the final analysis, leadership is everything. Being a leader is not something learned once and never forgotten. It is a continually developing set of talents ? a mind set ? skills and ideas that grow and change as one's contacts widen and diversify. The Texas Library Association desires to support its members in their professional growth by offering an opportunity for concentrated learning which combines practical knowledge, personal skills, vision, and communication.... The TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute is intended to maximize natural leadership talents by teaching skills and techniques ? by sharing concepts and theories ? by building confidence ? and by igniting enthusiasm.
TLA's Executive Board accepted the recommendation, and TALL Texans began in the fall of 1993 when nominations for the first institute participants were solicited.
Since its beginnings, the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute has selected participants using a combined nomination-application process. The first step is the nomination. Any TLA member or person with knowledge of the nominee can nominate an individual, or an individual can nominate himself or herself. Nominees must have at least five years of experience in the profession or three years of involvement as trustee or layperson, be employed in the profession (except for trustees or laypersons), and be a current TLA member. Each nominee that meets the criteria is then invited to apply to be an institute participant. The second step in the selection process is the application that requires completion of a questionnaire on current position, educational background, employment history, community and professional activities, professional goals, and motivation for participating in the TALL Texans Institute. Three written references must be submitted with the application. Finally, the applicant must agree to a two-year commitment that begins with attending the weeklong institute and includes completion of a personal action agenda. Participants are selected based on their application, their motivation for wanting to participate, and references.
The TALL Texans Leadership Selection Committee is responsible for selecting 24 participants and 5 alternates for the institute.
Since 1994, a total of 767 individuals have been nominated,372 of which have applied. Now entering its seventh year, 144 individuals have participated in the institute. Each year, six library leaders from throughout Texas are selected as mentors. Among the 36 mentors have been past TLA presidents, division leaders, the state librarian, and many individuals who have contributed to the development of Texas libraries.
Selected participants and mentors come from public, school, and academic libraries as well as special settings. As of 1997, trustees and laypersons became eligible to participate. As a statewide program, the geographical and cultural diversity of Texas has been represented. Since its inception, TALL Texans has sought to teach leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving techniques to the institute participants as a way to foster leadership development. During the 1994 institute, participants learned:
At the heart of the TALL Texans experience is a weeklong institute held at Harambe Oaks Ranch, a retreat near Wimberley, Texas in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and conveniently located within an hour of either Austin or San Antonio. The secluded setting provides a retreat and an environment for what is an intense personal and professional experience. For the week, all participants, mentors, facilitators, and project staff stay in a dormitory-like setting with meeting facilities.
Led by facilitators (Maureen Sullivan and Jack Siggins have been facilitators since 1995), the institute participants attend work sessions that combine presentations with group and individual exercises and activities. Built into the institute schedule is time to talk to fellow participants, to hear from the mentors, to explore individual issues and ideas, and to ponder what is presented and discussed. When I participated in the 1994 institute, the week began with introductions and the forming of groups. The foremost group was the community of the whole, the 'Class of 1994,' including mentors, facilitators, and project staff. The second group was the smaller learning team, a group of eight participants and two mentors. There were three of these "working groups" for much of the institute. Finally, there were the self-discovery groups, triads of institute participants, one member from each of the learning teams. These triads met at the end of the day to talk over the day and questions. The groups were used for the various activities and exercises throughout the week.
A major component of the curriculum of the 1994 institute focused on self-knowledge and self-assessment. Prior to the institute, each participant and mentor was sent the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and asked to complete it and return to the facilitators.
One of the first presentations at the 1994 institute was devoted to a discussion of the 16 Myers-Briggs types, what the preferences indicate and mean, the strengths and weaknesses of each type and their contributions to the organization, and areas for development. The implications for leadership, vision, problem solving, and managing change using the MBTI were discussed.
A variety of leadership topics constituted the major part of the institute. These topics included:
Financial commitment and support for the overall costs of the TALL Texans program come from the association as a whole (the TLA divisions, round tables, and districts) and from corporate sponsors. Fundraising and development efforts focus on raising money to fund the overall costs for administering and managing the program. Such development efforts for the TALL Texans Institute have included a Silent Auction held at the President's Party at the 1996 TLA Annual Conference in Houston, which raised approximately $5,000.
Cost for individual participants in the weeklong retreat is approximately $400. Most participants pay relatively little, however, since TLA units such as divisions, round tables, and districts budget to fund stipends for TALL Texans selected from their membership. Many employing institutions, realizing the worth of the institute, cover the stipend for their participants.
TALL Texans is a success story. The success of the program has been one of both group and individual success. Now entering its seventh year, TALL Texans is a healthy TLA program with lots of name or brand recognition. Within the association, a TALL Texans Round Table is open to any TLA member interested in leadership. The Round Table was started as an Interest Group by the first class of TALL Texans to foster interest in leadership and to support the TALL Texans program. The TALL Texans Round Table sponsors a dinner at the Annual Conference, sponsors and cosponsors conference programs with other TLA units, supports the institute, and continues to grow in membership each year. Other evidence of the success of TALL Texans has been the involvement of TALL Texans at every level of the association as appointed committee leaders and members and elected officers. Many TALL Texans have also nominated individuals to participate in the institute.
At the individual level, TALL Texans has hundreds of success stories. Many
TALL Texans have taken on new job responsibilities or moved into new jobs and
taken risks as well as taken on new roles in TLA and in their communities.
I think of TALL Texans as the leadership development institute of the Texas
Library Association AND a symbol of the initiative, energy, talent, dedication,
ingenuity and enthusiasm of Texas librarians. TALL Texans was for me ? personally
and professionally ? a defining moment in my career and has been a source of
growth, energy, and renewal.
The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Patricia H. Smith, TLA Executive Director, and June Kahler Berry, Project Manager for the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute, in preparing this article.
Pat Hawthorne is division coordinator of education and outreach services at the Otto G. Richter Library of theUniversity of Miami.