Leadership: The Challenge for the Information Profession

Sue Roberts is Dean of Learning Services at Edge Hill University, and Jennifer Rowley is Professor in Marketing and Management at the University of Wales, Bangor. Effective leadership is key to the future of information services and professional practice, and demands on leaders within the sector are greater than ever before. Leadership skills are required at all levels of the profession, from the top, through to professional staff called upon to lead a team or to take a supervisory role. To meet these challenges, individuals must develop their leadership capacity. This book invites information professionals across the sector and at different stages in their career to reflect on and engage with the development of their leadership role and contribution. Using theoretical concepts and models, coupled with practical tools, this book encourages readers to think about their own leadership and the leadership provided by others around them as the basis for continuing improvement in management and professional practice. No other book offers such a comprehensive and topical perspective on leadership in the context of the information services and the wider information industry. Contents include: challenges in leadership; knowing yourself as a leader; leadership in context; promoting change, innovation and creativity; leading people; setting direction and strategy; leadership development; and influencing others. It has a range of features, including learning objectives, chapter summaries, reflection points, review questions, case cameos and recommendations for further reading, encourages and facilitates engagement and reflection. This book is a must have for information professionals and aspiring leaders seeking to understand leadership and to develop their own leadership practice, as well as the leadership potential in others. It is also a valuable professional education text.