Future Desired State

Over the past several months I have been involved in a Leadership Development Program (LDP) with a cohort of peers.  It has been a good program overall.  For me it came at a time when I am contemplating where to go, what to do next.  Last week was the end of program so in our final days we covered political acumen and next steps.  One of the trainers recommended describing the Future Desired State.  This resonated with me and I want to take a few minutes exploring what that would look like.

I don't see myself in the current system that I am.  I have gone around and around with this.  Civil Service security vs finding a position that I can make a real difference.  Previously when speaking with one of the trainers, I voiced that I was leaning toward the former.  During a break, I indicated that I was leaning the other way now.  One of the trainers, said "At what cost does the civil service security come?"  There is a cost and I am not sure I want to bear that cost.

I have been chaffing in this system for a while.  I can see the value in the way the current head of the executive committee runs her system.  When she took over there were some pretty shocking ways of doing things that desperately needed to be addressed.  I also have great respect for the way that she handled the financial melt down several years back.  But I tend to use the analogy of Cuba when speaking about what is going on now.  When the revolution occurred, Cuba had serious inequities that needed to be addressed.  Castro did go a long way in raising the educational and economic levels of the general masses.  However, he never trusted the people and he became dependent on power.  As a result, Cuba has stagnated and the people have suffered. There is a delicate balance to achieve when making sweeping changes that require a tightening of the reins.  Once the course has been set, trust is required.

One leader that I greatly admire is George Washington.  He was a man that walked away from power and look at the result.  Had he been a different man--almost any other man--the greatness of the US might never have been achieved.  He trusted that what he started would continue.

If I am comparing my current system to a dysfunctional state, then perhaps this is not best place for me to be.  So what is my Future Desired State? As indicated above that would be something on the lines of Washington leading the US.

I want to take the tools that I have added to my tool box over the past several months in the LDP and apply them someplace where I have an ability to utilize them to the fullest extent.  I want to work with a Library Board, develop partnerships in a community and lead the library I am charge of into excellence or if the case may be continued excellence.  I want to be able to encourage a staff into doing more than they thought possible.

I want to be able to flex my wings and soar within my community.  I do not want to worry that the next step that I take is one that will be my downfall.  I don't want to worry that I didn't go through the proper channels or or enough channels or that I made a mistake by talking to the press about the wonderful program that we are having.  I want to be able to make partnerships or encourage partnerships without going through levels and levels of permission.  I am a professional with customer service as my primary motivating factor and I would like to be treated as such.  I want meetings that I go to to be collaborative and engaging and not a sit and listen event.  Again, I am a professional and so are my peers.  If a mistake is made, address that mistake with that person.

That is my Future Desired State.  I want to be the Director of my own system, however, small.  I have the skills, I can learn what I do not know.  I have so many strengths that are not being tapped and that is becoming a roadblock for me professionally.

Like a budded rose, I want to bloom.  I need to find the sunshine and rain to allow that.