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Abstract
This study utilizes Posner and Kouzes' Characteristics of an Admired Leader (CAL) instrument to determine if there are generational preferences in characteristics of an admired leader among career library professionals. Data was gathered from nearly 800 respondents, coded into generational cohorts, and assessed from commonalities across generational lines. Additional assessment of the data sought trends across generational cohorts within the context of employment status, library type, library subfield, and generational identity. The authors concluded that while there is little generational difference in the characteristics of an admired leader, there are commonalities across the profession at large and suggest that library administrators and leaders prioritize developing the shared characteristics and competencies as they develop and engage in their own practice.
Introduction
Both scholarly and popular publications have, in recent years, spent a significant amount of time and text remarking on the multigenerational workplace. Owing largely to both increasing lifespans and later retirement dates, for the first time most workplaces are likely to include employees representing five generations (Traditionalists or the Silent Generation, the Boomer or Baby Boomer Generation, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z). The confluence of so many generations simultaneously in the workforce has resulted in a broad range of theories and reflections regarding generational differences in approach to work/life balance, pay expectations, motivation and incentive patterns, and other perceived generational differences that impact the workplace.
These purported generational differences may impact both library workplaces and library leaders who may need to accommodate varying employee expectations and needs; however, confirmation of generational differences solicited solely from those within the profession have been scant. Moreover, where these generational studies have taken place, few have focused specifically on how generational differences may impact perceptions of library leadership within the context of admired traits. In this study, responses were solicited from nearly 800 library career professionals regarding the most valued characteristics of an admired leader and then assessed for generational trends across the profession, within library subfields, within specific library subtypes, and within gender identity categories.
Literature Review
For the first time in history, five generational cohorts (Traditionalists or members of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, Millennials, and Generation Z) are potentially working side by side. Because of this, there has been an abundance...