Leadership Matters (American Association For State And Local History),Used

Product Description Todays history and cultural heritage museum leaders are part visionary and part foot soldier, but what makes them tick? Are there attitudes, philosophies and skills that set some people apart from the thousands charged with moving institutions forward? What lessons can we draw from their stories? Now more than ever, success as a museum leader doesnt necessarily come with longevity, scholarship or curatorial achievement. In fact, todays successful leaders often bring myriad skills to the table, creating a style that works both personally and professionally. This snapshot of museum leadership focuses in particular on history and cultural heritage organizations to help readers understand the power of individual leadership and its relationship to organizational strength. This book features: 36 interviews with leaders in the field from a range of positions and institutions 10 myths of museum leadership and why theyre wrong 10 simple truths of museum leadership Leadership agenda with criteria and goals for individual and organizational developmentUsing personal insights of the history museum fields most engaging, innovative and entrepreneurial leaders, Leadership Matters profiles what makes inspiring leadership in 21st century institutions. These profiles focus not only on history museum presidents, directors, and CEOs, but also on the leaders withindeputies, vicepresidents and department heads, as well as their counterparts in the boardroom. Ackerson and Baldwin have brought together a resource to help individuals and institutions move from the status quo to being innovative and influential. Review LeadershipMatters is a highly readable book, as relevant to organizations of any type as it is to the museum field, in which it is based. LeadershipMatters lays out the basis for a collaborative, creative, nonhierarchical approach to leadership in an accessible, engaging manner, based not on abstract theories, but on common sense practices that are documented in the book by successful 21st century leaders in the museum field. There is not a better book on nonprofit leadership anywhere. Ford W. Bell, American Alliance of Museums (AAM) President, 20072015The step by step analysis laid out in Leadership Matters brings focus to the responsibilities every museum director has to connect at the individual, institutional and societal level. This insightful book lays a path that will to help forwardthinking museum professionals manage change and forge success in the communities that their museums serve. Melody Kanschat, Executive Director, Getty Leadership InstituteFar too little has been written about museum leadership, especially in history museums. This long overdue work provides much needed insight into real world thinking for the new normal of museum work in the ever changing economic landscape of the 21st century. The authors masterly weave 36 stories of diverse museum leadership that enlighten readers about real world experiences, and not classroom rhetoric, which is a much needed addition to our profession at a critical juncture. Norman O. Burns, Executive Director of the Maymont Foundation, Richmond, VirginiaFrom the foreword:Through its analysis of relevant leadership literature, parsing valid versus questionable assumptions about museum practice, and capturing the authentic voices of so many museum leaders, Leadership Matters serves as a welcomed resource. Spurred by their conviction that leadership development has been a neglected and undervalued aspect of museum practice, Ackerson and Baldwin gather, synthesize, personalize, and contextualize history museum leadership today. They make the case for the urgency of shifting priorities now. And, in the process, we readers have the opportunity to meet many interesting people who have generously shared their leadership stories, exposing their vulnerabilities as well as strengths, and acknowledging that they, too, are still