Social Work Leadership

web site

2011-07-01T17:40:00.001-07:00

Just found a really interesting web site...The Purposeful Leader. Check it out at http://www.bnet.com/blog/leadership?tag=sec-blogger5

Huge honor

2011-06-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

I am feeling hugely fortunate and honored as a woman social worker and leader. I recently found out that I will be the first woman dean at the University of South Carolina College of Social Work. What a personal honor and great step for all women social work leaders!

New Resource

2011-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

I've just found a resource that has some interesting materials on leadership. The Journal of Healthcare Leadership is an open access (i.e. free to readers) peer-reviewed journal. It can be found at http://www.dovepress.com/journal-of-healthcare-leadership-journal

Happy reading!

Transitions

2011-05-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Leaders work to move systems forward and aim for transformational change. This is great,and results in positive growth; but transitions, even truly positive ones, are hard. One of the big challenges of leadership is to be positive about change while acknowledging the difficulty of transition.

Balance

2011-05-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that one of the challenges of leadership is to get change processes moving without doing too much of it oneself. Do too little and you don't build any momentum. Do too much and no one else feels any ownership. Titrating that dichotomy can be tricky...I wonder how others do it?

Doing

2011-05-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

"The largest question facing the human race is not when will you learn, but when will you act on what you've already learned." - Neale Donald Walsch

Leadership and action are inextricably intertwined. However, action without thought, and thought in isolation from others, are both meaningless. So leaders need connection, contemplation, and action.

2011-05-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a chance to lobby on the Hill for NASW, promoting the Social Work Reinvestment Act. I was surprised at how easy it was...staffers were interested in what I said and I think I actually made a difference. Goes to show you that having passion about your topic can make you a really convincing and engaging speaker.

HIV and the social work curriculum

2011-04-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

One thing a social work leader can do is provide guidance regarding the curriculum, making suggestions for ways in which the social work curriculum can be strengthened to better meet the needs of the community. My colleagues and I offer some suggestions for incorporating more HIV content in the social work curriculum in the article at the site below.

https://sites.google.com/site/hivandswcurriculum/hiv

2011-02-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Lately I have spent a lot of time thinking about stories and storytelling, and about how our history is such an integral part of the identity of social work.

If you will allow me for a moment, I'd like to put in a plea for a connection between history and social work and storytelling that is near to my heart. As we all know, the social work profession and social work faculty are aging, with a majority of us over fifty and a great number of us near retirement. As this generation retires and leaves, a vast quantity of social work history will go with them.

So my plea is to not let that history be lost. Just as NASW honors social work pioneers, I hope each of you will work to honor the social work practitioner and academic elders in your agencies, schools and departments, and to capture their stories through recordings and writings. It’s important to us and to the future generations of social workers we wish to shape.

2011-02-05T18:00:00.001-08:00

The NC General Assembly began its long session this past week, and I've heard lots of people bemoaning the budget and the leadership, and falling into general despondency. As a leader it is important to balance realism with ongoing energy and optimism, so people don't become paralyzed and hopeless...but don't see you as Pollyanna and naive.

I think the message I'd like to convey is that this is a time for building and strengthening relationships, working to lose as little ground as possible, asking hard questions about whether we are truly lean and mean, and positioning for when the economy and political forces turn.

Stay strong and stay focused and stay together, all.

Time

2011-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

To my horror I realized recently that I haven't posted to this site in months...not weeks, but MONTHS. This is awful, but it made me start thinking about time and how we use it. Social work and social work education are cultures of the busy--somehow having too much work and being too busy seem to be signs of virtue or value.

But what this does is take away from our time for introspection, something essential for a social work leader. We need to give ourselves permission for time to think, to be creative, to just be. I'm as guilty of this as anyone I know, and it's a goal of mine to change that.

I found a wonderful quote that helps me with this, and I share it with you:

"To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times."
Thomas Merton

Peace, all

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

2010-11-22T05:11:00.001-08:00

Really interesting article on emotional intelligence and leadership from the Center for Community Leadership.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
by Anne Lezak

"Throughout history and in cultures everywhere, the leader in any human group has been the one to whom others look for assurance and clarity when facing uncertainty or threat, or when there's a job to be done. The leader acts as the group's emotional guide."
- Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, & Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, 2004, Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA

In the book Primal Leadership, the authors build on Goleman's ground-breaking work on emotional intelligence, demonstrating the key role emotional intelligence plays in leadership. According to Goleman and colleagues, leaders can increase their emotional intelligence and thereby improve their leadership effectiveness.

The leader's style is "contagious" – he or she sets the emotional tone of the group that either makes people want to come along and work towards common goals, or pushes them away and causes discomfort and uncertainty. The best leaders build resonance with their teams; they are in tune with the group's emotions and needs and are able to drive emotions positively, to bring out the best in everyone. Such leaders lead with empathy, enthusiasm, and conviction.

This doesn't mean that leaders ignore difficult situations or shrink from conflict. Rather, they are aware of their own emotional reactions to situations, and of the impact this has on those who look to them for cues. They learn to manage their emotions in ways that inspire confidence and help move people ahead. Whether they are giving good news or bad, their responses are genuine and are in sync with what the individual or group to whom they're relating is feeling.

Becoming a more effective leader means attending to the four dimensions of emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness: Recognizing one's own emotions and appreciating the impact they have on others; maintaining an honest understanding of your strengths and limitations; and experiencing clarity in your values and goals. Self-awareness is key to that "gut-level" intuition that we can't quite explain, but that we learn to trust.

• Self-management: The ability to control and direct one's emotions in ways that are helpful and positive, including under stressful situations. From Primal Leadership, p. 47: "By staying in control of their feelings and impulses, [leaders] craft an environment of trust, comfort, and fairness." Leaders with strong self-management skills are able to adapt their leadership styles to match different situations, and maintain an upbeat, can-do attitude under pressure, both calming and energizing those around them.

• Social awareness: The ability to empathize; being attuned to how others feel and what response will help them overcome their fears, bring them along, and bring out the best in them. This applies both on an individual and group level; leaders with high social awareness can sense organizational tensions, changes, and needs. Social awareness enables leaders to build resonant and lasting relationships with followers, client, and stakeholders.

• Relationship management: Bringing together self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness to "inspire and move people with a compelling vision (Primal Leadership, P.51)." This speaks to Goleman's definition of leadership: The art of getting things done through other people. Successful leaders use their emotional intelligence to influence and guide others; establish strong networks; and build the trust and energy that enables them to lead in new directions and be catalysts for positive change.

Questions to Consider

1) Can you think of times when your leadership style was "contagious" in a way that helped a group gain confidence to move forward or tackle tough challenges?

2) How well do you trust your own intuition to tell you when something "just doesn't feel right"? When in a leadership role, have you ever ignored this warning signal and regretted it?

3) Are you able to recognize your own emotional state in times of stress? Could you do better at channeling your emotions in ways that are helpful to those you lead?

4) To what extent does the relationship between highly developed emotional intelligence and strong leadership skills make sense to you?

2010-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

A great way to exercise a little social work leadership is to write a letter to the editor. These are simple and powerful statements that let you share your view on an important issue--in a way that portrays the social work perspective. Remember to identify yourself as a social worker when you write.

Here are some examples from our students [please note I'm supporting their effort and don't necessarily endorse everything in the content]. To see them you'll need to use Explorer (wont' work with Mozilla).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/opinion/l24voting.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/republican_congress_would_not_help_the_needy

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/21/752434/sensitivity-check.html

http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663

http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663

http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/coples_tweet_out_of_line_with_thorps_message

Advocacy versus Stridency

2010-10-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Lately I've noticed a number of people who seem to think that being a good leader and advocating for oneself or others equates with being verbally abusive, strident, and simply rude. I know that there are times that the gloves have to come off, and we have to truly fight for what we believe in as leaders. However, I don't think this should be the first tactic we take. As social workers, engaging in verbal exchanges that are hurtful to others, that burn bridges and ruin social capital, and that are, frankly, not often effective, are NOT good leadership. We are supposed to believe in the importance of human relationship, of respect and dignity of the individual. Yelling and demanding aren't exactly syntonic with these values.

I hope that students and professionals will realize that leadership is more than shouting "I demand what I deserve!!" every time something doesn't go the way we think it should. A spirit of inquiry, sitting down and saying "Can we talk about this? I'm seeing things differently that you seem to be." are more likely to get results and more likely to communicate respect and professionalism.

Strategic, not strident. Effective, not abusive. Engaging, not antagonistic. Leadership that effects change without sacrificing our values.

Hispanic Heritage Month

2010-09-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Sept 15 through October 14 is Hispanic Heritage month. UNC will be having a number of events. Check them out at http://clc.unc.edu/hhm2010.html

Social Work--the easy career? NOT!

2010-09-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sigh.. it happened again. Today's Washington Post has an article by their Career Coach Marshall Brown (http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/career-coach/2010/09/how_to_reinvent_your_career.html). In abbreviated form, it goes like this:

"Question:
I am seriously considering "reinventing" myself. I was just laid off and I thought that I might as well do it now. I wonder if I can make a fresh start without having to start over, but how?

Answer:
I am a firm believer that it is NEVER too late. So, the good news is, you can. Here are some tips that I hope will help you: [a number of tips omitted here to save space]

Transferable Skills
Instead of starting something entirely new, you can start by building on what you already know and have done. From accountant, try a transition into financial planning; from teacher, try moving into social work; from real estate, maybe consider becoming a tour guide. The same skills that served you in the past can work for you now."

Lovely idea, but it implies that this transfer can happen without additional education. As social work leaders we need to bust this myth that social work requires a basic education and a good heart. We are a profession with a body of knowledge and educational standards from accredited schools of social work, and shouldn't let ourselves be sold short. Social work is not an easy career--it requires education and training and hard work. It also happens to be an incredibly rewarding career. Let's make sure people know both these facts.

Welcome

2010-08-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Copy of part of the welcome comments to incoming MSW students

I’d like to add my welcome to our Dean’s …we’re very excited to have you here with us. Dean Richman congratulated you on being chosen and choosing UNC. I’d like to add another congratulations to that…congratulations for choosing the profession of social work.

I know I’m biased, but you have chosen the best, most flexible, most satisfying career there is. You’re entering a profession where you will do things that matter. You will make a difference and make change in the world.

I hope you’re aware that you’re also joining a profession that has a long history of leaders who have stepped forward to speak truth to power, even when that was risky, and to fight for social justice.

Think about it...In the profession of social work you’re joining people like:

• Jane Addams, founder of the settlement house Hull House, and Mary Richmond, who developed social casework
• Lugenia Burns Hope, who in the Progressive Era spent her life improving the community through a network of Southern African American women’s clubs—AND who helped found the first African American school of social work @ Clark Atlanta
• Harry Hopkins, who ran the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for FDR, and Francis Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and 1st woman cabinetmember
• Leah Katherine Hicks Manning, who helped developed the Indian Child Welfare Act
• Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, who has worked tirelessly to increase the Latino presence in social work
• and our own recently deceased John Turner, former Tuskeegee airman, former dean of Case Western’s SSW and former dean of our SSW…and the “turner” in “Tate, Turner, Kuralt” building that houses us.

These people, and countless others, make a path through history to now…and to you.So welcome to your new profession, and to your place in social work. We can hardly wait to see the amazing things you’re going to do.

New Students

2010-08-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

The new students are beginning to come in for orientation; today was the Triangle Distance Education Program. They seem like a great group--energetic, connecting with each other, smart, enthusiastic. Our challenge and responsibility will be to help them channel that energy into developing their social work leadership voice. We need many more strong social work leaders...it's exciting to see a new group of them take shape.

2010-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading an interesting book...
The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership by Steven B. Sample and Warren Bennis.

It has some really fine ideas, like learning how to think "gray" and working for those who work for you. Highly recommended.

2010-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

OK,so I have a question. How do leaders keep their own hope going, as well as the people around them, when things look bleak?
I've read in several places that NC is predicted to have a $4 billion (yes, with a "b") deficit next year. As leaders how do we help folks keep working in the face of this? I do believe in fighting the good fight, but keeping spirits up is a hard part of leadership.

The thing that I hold on to during times like these is a quote from TS Eliot's Four Quartets "For us there is only the trying, the rest is not our business."

Our job is to do our best, to keep trying and doing, knowing that if we do that the best possible available outcome will happen.

Any other thoughts out there?

2010-06-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today I've been thinking a great deal about a social work leader in NC whom I admire immensely. I'm thinking about Jack Register, who for the past several years has been the Director of Advocacy and Legislation at NASW NC Chapter. Jack will be stepping down June 30, and this is a huge loss for the Chapter and for social workers across the state.

The leadership skills I most admire and learn about from Jack are his ability to be simultaneously passionate and articulate about an issue. When he lobbied he could present a logical and persuasive argument with energy and intensity--a truly compelling combination. His energy level is huge and his identification and dedication to the profession of social work is total.

Jack has made a difference in this state; lots of legislation, including title protection for social workers, the anti-bullying bill, and others, are thanks to him. He will be tremendously missed at NASW NC, but he leaves a legacy of which he can be proud, and for which we can all be grateful.

2010-06-23T17:38:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a 2 week training at the Harvard Institute of Higher Education's Management Development Program. Lots of excellent material. One of the most helpful things was a book called "Reframing Organizations" by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal. Part of their premise is that effective leaders use four frames or lenses when analyzing situations or issues: a political frame, a symbolic frame, a structural/organizational frame, and a human resource/relationships frame. I've been thinking about social work as a profession--we are so good at the human resource frame, and can be good at the symbolic and structural frames...but are we comfortable with the political frame? Are we comfortable thinking about strategy and limited resources and power and competing? It's a useful frame, especially if coupled with and guided by our code of ethics...hmmm....something to chew on.

transitions

2010-05-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about leadership transitions lately. My own leadership role as President of NASWNC is coming to an end, our state Division of Mental Health is going through major leadership changes, nationally there will be a new leader on the Supreme Court--it's everywhere.

So what does a good leader do in transition? Three things come to mind for me.
The first, and most obvious, is sharing information--policies, facts, forms, event histories, budgets, personnel evaluations--all of that concrete stuff.
Second, and more subtle, is conveying culture; helping the new leader understand the tenor of the environment, the emotional subtext, the norms and expectations.
Finally, is the hand-off, stepping back and fading a bit so the new leader can step in and create her own space. A long time ago a clinical supervisor taught me a trick when working with couples. If one person in the couple only looks at and talks to you, if you repeatedly look at the non-speaking person, the person speaking will begin to do so too...and that way you shift their attention from you to their partner. Similarly, a transitioning leader helps the group/organization/coalition look to the new leader by shifting their attention. Getting out of the way gracefully, without abandoning the new person or organization and without overstaying, is a leadership skill.

So here's to transitions in leadership, and exciting new times ahead. Good luck to all the new leaders out there!

2010-05-03T07:12:00.001-07:00

I'm posting a paper that I think is a wonderful example of leadership and of parallel process. Two students in our MSW program, Rebecca Graves and Leah Oster-Katz, wrote a paper on the history of the Crest Street Community in Durham, NC and its decades-long struggle to stop a highway from being built through the community. The story is one of social capital, community activism, and local leadership coming together to prevent the destruction of a neighborhood that is predominantly African American and of historical importance.

The parallel process is that the two students demonstrated amazing leadership in developing this project independently--jointly creating something based in their vision of what is important in social work macro practice.

It's an excellent piece, and you can find it at the link below.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B8u_BhOhkWLANTQ4ZWU4ZTUtNjNjNi00ZjY5LWJmNzktZTQxNzc4Yjg2NjM2&hl=en

Arizona Immigration Law

2010-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Arizona just passed a new, sweeping immigration law. The law requires state and local police to determine the status of people if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they are undocumented immigrants and to arrest people who are unable to provide documentation proving they are in the country legally.

As social work leaders, we are ethically mandated to consider the potential civil and human rights violations of laws such as this. What does it mean when we give police the power to stop anyone they wish to consider as possibly an undocumented person? Does this mean all citizens of Arizon must now carry their birth certificate with them at all times? As a Latina and a U.S. citizen, does this mean if I visit Arizona I must carry my birth certificate or risk arrest?

For me personally there is a sense of the totally unreal about this...Remember those old WWII movies? The bad guys would stop innocents on the streets, snarling "Show me your papers" and we could feel smug and secure know that this would never happen to us in the U.S. Well, not any more.

As social work leaders, we are ethically mandated to consider these things, and to challenge social injustice. We are mandated to act.

2010-04-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today, the nation lost one of the foremost leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and the social work profession. Dr. Dorothy I. Height was a renowned civil rights leader and a vital force in the struggle for human rights and equality in the United States for more than half a century.

Her tireless efforts on behalf of others exemplified the social work commitment to social justice and advocacy. In 2009, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act was introduced into the 111th Congress by U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD) and U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns (NY). The bill seeks to create a national commission that studies the impact of social work interventions, and to fund social work training and research grants.
(Information courtesy of NASW)

For more information you can go to
https://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/2010/042010Height.asp

Advocacy and Social Work

2010-04-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

As social workers we talk about advocacy a lot. We advocate for our clients, making sure they can access services they need and are entitled to, that their rights are respected, and the like.

But larger-scale advocacy at more political levels, and advocacy for ourselves as a profession—for some reason that seems harder to do sometimes. Things like lobbying the General Assembly or writing op-eds can be intimidating at first. So how do we do the positive self-talk needed to push ourselves to advocate...why should we as social workers advocate at political and public levels?

As I think about this I am reminded of an old TV commercial for Quaker Oats where a wizened Wilford Brimley told us that we should eat oatmeal because “it’s the right thing to do.” It was true, but I never found that a very compelling reason to consume bland breakfast cereal. Similarly, I think sometimes the only reason we are given for why we should engage in advocacy is because “it’s the right thing to do.” Our Code of Ethics says we should promote social justice (e.g. through advocacy), our chapter Director of Advocacy and Legislation tells us we ought to, emails from NASW national office tell us we ought to.

All of these are true and good reasons—advocacy is the right thing to do. But I’d ask you to think about it differently. Advocacy is also important for each of us to do because it is a form of self-care. Let me explain a little. One of the hardest things about social work practice (at least for me) is feeling helpless as I watch clients struggle with an illogical and unfair system. That feeling of helplessness is stressful—it can make us sick. Advocacy to change the illogical and unfair systems is a way to fight the helpless feeling, to know we can make change and not have to feel stressed and powerless.

Advocacy is also the only way that we will improve our own working conditions as social workers. When we advocate for fair systems that provide good services with quality providers we are advocating for healthy places where we can offer services, places that are safe, that provide a respectful service context (for clients and for providers), that ensure that provider turnover is low. Fair systems benefit social workers and clients alike, so when we advocate for these we advocate for ourselves.
Finally, advocacy is a way to claim our voice and thus our power as professionals. When we advocate we demand attention, we say “we are here and we have valuable things to say”, we own our power. Advocacy is a way for each of us to do this, to become more empowered as individual social workers. It is also a way for us to do this as a profession.

So, I’d invite you to think about all of this, to talk with your colleagues and join in advocacy efforts. Do this because it is ethical, because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s a way to take care of ourselves, of each other, and other the profession to which we’re dedicated.

(Taken from an NASW NC newsletter article I wrote)

international social work and leadership

2010-03-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

Given the recent disasters in Haiti and Chile, I've been thinking a lot about international social work, and how a social worker can travel to another country during a time of crisis and be truly helpful. Not paternalistic, or colonial, or oppressive, but helpful. International social work, and leadership in international social work efforts, requires above all the ability to listen and to be humble.

Dr. Gina Chowa recently gave a great talk on this topic at the UNC SSW. You might want to take a look--it's at http://ssw.unc.edu/students/leadership/multimedia

DSM and Social Work leadership

2010-02-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

The proposed new version of the DSM was unveiled recently, to the great consternation of many. Some see this as a way to more accurately diagnose people who suffer from disorders and get them the scientifically-based treatment they deserve. Others worry that the new diagnostic categories cast too wide a net and may pathologize some atypical but healthy behaviors. For a story on this, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021000009.html

Once materials are posted on the APA web, there will be a public comment period until April 20. This is a perfect opportunity to engage in some social work leadership. Read the materials, post comment, and make your (and social work's) voice heard on this important issue.

historical social work leadership

2009-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Check out an amazing story on NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122017757

In the 1940s several conscientious objectors began volunteering at the state psychiatric hospital in Philly. The conditions were so horrific they secretly took pictures, went to the media and made change happen. They all subsequently became social workers.

Commentary

2009-12-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Below is a commentary on WCHL, which involves a call for local leadership.

With the new year approaching, I’ve been thinking about what I’m hoping for in 2010. And, since I’m a social worker, lots of it has to do with changes I hope to see this coming year.

Along with global hopes, like world peace and affordable healthcare, I also have some local hopes for our community. Some are small..like the hope that this is the year people will finally get off their cell phones and Blackberrys and drive. But one is big, and I’d like to share it.

As you’ve probably heard, North Carolina’s mental health system is a shambles. Parents can’t get help for severely depressed kids, adults can’t find services so they can function and raise their families...People are hurting, or dying, and the state is finally facing a lawsuit.

Former Mayor Foy put together a task force to look at this issue locally. The task force reported its recommendations to the Chapel Hill Town Council, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the County Commissioners. Though there was a proposal for a committee to look at this in Chapel Hill, not much else happened.

So my hope for 2010 is that our local leaders will develop a strong sense of righteous indignation and moral outrage at the conditions people with mental illnesses face...and that this outrage will lead them to act, to figure out ways to pool resources, be creative, and get folks the help they desperately need.
That’s my hope for 2010. And, I hope you and yours have a peaceful and joyous holiday.

Leadership training

2009-12-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

NASW is offering a members-only Lunchtime Series Webinar: How Leaders Lead: Guiding Principles for Social Workers in Evidence-Driven Environments (2.0 FREE CEs) — January 26, 2010 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (ET). Go to www.socialworkers.org for more information

Priorities

2009-12-22T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog. The end of the semester, the holidays, other demands...they have a way of crowding out other important things. So here's a question: Leaders have multiple competing demands, fires to put out, people in their faces. How do good leaders separate out the important from the urgent? Something may be urgent in the moment, but not important in the larger scheme of things. Particularly in social work, where we are underfunded, understaffed, and dealing with constant crises, how do we continue to work on important long term projects and issues?

New year's resolution--before I jump to do something, I will ask "Is this an important request, or simply an urgent one?"

Happy holidays all. Peace and joy.

Proactive thinking and leadership

2009-11-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

One of the characteristics of a good leader is to be proactive and anticipatory. Wayne Gretzky used to talk about skating to where is puck is going to be, not to where it is...good leaders know where the puck is going to be.

Given this, as social work leaders I think we have an obligation to think about "where the puck is going to be" when it comes to human services. We've been hearing news about state tax revenues already being lower than projected, which does not bode well for human services. What can we be doing now, how can we be proactive, how can we keep more cuts from coming to the fragile services that are helping the most vulnerable people in our communities?

Leadership, Social Work, and the Military

2009-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

On November 2 Dr. Griffin Lockett will be speaking about Leadership, Social Work, and the Military, exploring (among other things) issues of functioning as a social work leader within a military culture.

Dr. Lockett will be in Room 300 TTK from 12:15-1:30 All are welcome.

Leadership and Courage

2009-10-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

Really interesting article on leadership and courage. Starts with the quote from Andrew Jackson "One person with courage is a majority."

Check it out at http://www.centerforcommunityleadership.com/static/centerforcommunityleadership/newsletter.php?file=/centerforcommunityleadership/newsletter/1-9.php

Leadership and International Social Work

2009-10-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

UNC School of Socail Work Leadership Series presents Dr. Gina Chowa speaking on "Leadership and International Social Work" tomorrow at 12:15 in room 300

Effective Leadership and Advocacy

2009-10-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a coalition of advocacy organizations and consumer groups gathered for a press conference in Raleigh, demanding that the Governor call a special session of the General Assembly to deal with the mounting disasters in the mental health, developmental disabilities, substance abuse services system.

Never let it be said this kind of action has no impact! The evening before the event occurred (but after the word had leaked)our Secretary of DHHS announced the state had "found" an additional $15M for mental health services. For a great summary of the issue see Chris Fitzsimon's column at http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2009/10/14/a-timely-demand-for-action/

Effective leadership and advocacy combined with collaboration can make a huge difference. What was the Margaret Meade quote..."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world...indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

2009-10-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Quick quiz--what do the following political and social leaders have in common: Abraham Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale, Abbie Hoffman?

Give up? They all lived with a serious mental illness.

As social work leaders, one of our tasks is to be inclusive, not to dismiss anyone because of their label. Mental illness is one of the most difficult labels to live with; the stigma in our society against people who live with mental illnesses is severe. This despite the fact that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental illness in our lifetime.

October 4-10 is National Mental Illness Awareness Week. So take a little time, learn more about mental illnesses, read about recovery, and step forward to dispel myths and decrease stigma.

Leadership, ethics, and the law

2009-09-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

In doing ethics trainings I am often asked to talk about legal liability issues. This provides an opportunity to talk about ethics versus law...that these are overlapping but not synonymous terms. Certain things may be legal but not ethical, and one of the things a leader must do is struggle with this issue, having the moral courage to speak the truth and act on it.

One area where social workers struggle with this tension between legal and ethical is around immigration. Our social work leadership through NASW has put together a toolkit to help social workers who wrestle with this area.

As a result of the NASW President’s Initiative on Diversity, the purpose of the Immigration Toolkit is to provide NASW chapters, members, and other entities with policy information and tools to promote the competency of social workers in the immigration field, to fight discrimination against immigrants, and to take social and political action in support of the rights of immigrants. To view the Toolkit, go to: http://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/ImmigrationToolkit.pdf

Hispanic Heritage Month

2009-09-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's Hispanic Heritage Month, and an opportunity to think about Hispanic/Latino leaders who have focused on civil rights issues. Here are a couple I could think of, with some information from a variety of internet sources.
Who are the Hispanic/Latino leaders you most admire?

Dennis Chávez
As a United States senator, Dennis Chávez battled for the rights of Hispanic residents and Native Americans in his home state, New Mexico. He was a senator for 27 years, from 1935 to 1962. Chávez tried to stop discrimination against workers based on their race, religion, or ethnic background. He played a major role in the establishment of an agency to protect workers, known as the Fair Employment Practices Commission.

Cesar Chávez
César Chávez came from a family of poor migrant workers. Through the experiences of his family, he knew the hard lives led by farm workers who came to work in California from Mexico. They had to live in dirty, cramped places and earned little money. In 1962, with Dolores Huerta, he started a group to change these terrible conditions — the United Farm Workers of America. At first the workers were afraid of the produce growers. But Chávez inspired the group and led peaceful protests and boycotts. These actions convinced the growers to sign contracts with the farm workers and to treat them better.

Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta has devoted her whole life to better treatment and justice for farm workers. Along with César Chávez, she co-founded the United Farm Workers of America. She negotiated the first labor contract for the migrant farm workers and helped get the growers to agree to stop using dangerous chemicals on grapes. Because of a boycott Huerta led in 1970, urging people not to buy California grapes, the grape industry agreed to treat the workers better.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
In 1982, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen became the first Hispanic woman and first Cuban American to be elected to the U.S. Congress. When she was 7 years old, her family fled Communist forces in Cuba. Today, the Republican congresswoman strongly opposes Communism in Cuba. She advocates for human rights around the world.

Sonia Sotomayor
She is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retired Justice David Souter . Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 6, 2009, by a vote of 68–31, and she was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on August 8. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice. Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent and was born in the Bronx.

Addendum

2009-09-04T11:16:00.001-07:00

Gary Shaffer passed away this morning.

A Quiet Leader

2009-09-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thinking alot about Gary Shaffer, a man who has been a quiet and courageous leader in the field of school social work for decades. Gary is an amazing example of leadership without fanfare, without force, without ego. For over 20 years Gary has worked in NC to educate and prepare social workers to work in our schools. He knows the importance of having a social worker there to help the child whose academic performance or behavior is problematic, not due to lack of skill or smarts, but due to poverty, violence, substances, bullying, or simply having no one that cares. He communicates the needs of school-age kids, and the importance of school social workers, to county commissioners, legislators, school systems, universities, and anyone else with whom he speaks.

Three particular ways to help kids have been Gary's most recent interest: getting free lunches to kids in poverty during the summers through the schools; banning corporal punishment in schools in NC; and passing anti-bullying legislation to protect vulnerable kids. He was particularly tenacious in his advocacy for the anti-bullying bill, which passed the General Assembly this year...no small victory and impossible without his leadership.

Gary has led both by word and by example. His most recent and most courageous example has been in how he handles his health. Gary has been struggling with illness for several years. Throughout this time he has kept on keeping on--even when we knew he was tired or felt sick or was sick and tired of his treatments. His passion for the work was strong and helped him continue the fight. So whether in his work or his life, Gary has been a gentle yet tenacious leader, fighting for what he believes in and dedicated to the wellbeing of kids and the social workers who help them. We're fortunate to have leaders like Gary Shaffer, and I know I'm a better social worker and person because of him.

2009-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting book out through Boston University titled "Principled Leadership in Mental Health Systems and Programs" by William A. Anthony & Kevin Ann Huckshorn. It posits that in this time of national mental healthcare collapse we need a different kind of leader than the one traditionally seen in the public section. You can find an excerpt at http://www.bu.edu/cpr/products/books/titles/sample-leadership.pdf

2009-08-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

Found an intersting article on the effectiveness of transformational versus transactional leadership in a social work setting. It is an empirical article, looking at the correlation between transactional leadership factors (e.g. leaders encouraging change in staff behavior through positive rewards) versus transformational leadership factors (e.g. leaders catalyzing change by communicating new values and vision). Check it out. Gellis, Z. (2001). Social work perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership in health care. Social Work Research, 25, 17-25.

For those of you with access to the e-reserves at UNC, cou can get it at

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=103&sid=c7cc7ca4-17a2-49c9-94c8-e404203dcb54%40sessionmgr111

Leadership and anger

2009-08-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Chris Fitzsimon wrote an interesting piece yesterday on the vehemence and anger in response to the Obama healthcare plan, and how much of the content and affect had little to do with healthcare.

New leaders have an interesting developmental trajectory, with excessive hope and expectation followed by rage when everything isn't "fixed" right away. Having the moral courage to stay the course is a challenge in the face of this kind of vitriol, often irrational and personal rather than issue focused. What should a leader do in the face of irrational and impossible demands (like "don't raise my taxes, but make sure we can all get all the healthcare we want when we want it and with total choice and control.")?

Are there ways to prevent this pattern of honeymoon and rebound rage? Is there a way to build front-end buy-in to minimize this? Or is this simply a stage a good leader needs to weather?

2009-08-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Our governor signed the NC budget behind closed doors, with no ceremony, and with a public statement that she had real reservations about the budget...which begs the question of why did she sign it? How do leaders decide when to fight and when to concede? How do we as social work leaders weigh the harm in continuing to fight (e.g. not signing a budget and having the state continue to struggle without one) versus the harm in compromise and concession (e.g. signing a budget that has HUGE cuts in HHS, DOC, etc.)? Are there some things that are simply non-negotiable, that no matter how much they may harm us or others we simply cannot compromise on or concede to? If so, what are they? Do we as leaders have a right to make these kinds of decisions when they may harm others, without consulting with these others first?

The ethics of moral dilemmas is something requiring much self-reflection and collaborative discussion among social work leaders. I'm not sure we do enough of this.

Social Work Leaders Past and Present

2009-08-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

The Executive Director of NASW has put out a document "A Broader Vision for the Social Work Profession" where she outlines our history and leadership as a profession, and talks about what it means to be a social worker now. Check it out at
http://www.socialworkers.org/nasw/vision.asp

Welcome

2009-08-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the start of academic year 2009-2010! It has been a summer full of leadership (or lack thereof) activity at the federal, state, and local levels. People have been working diligently to preserve or improve programs, to address social injustice, and to simply speak truth to power about the conditions in our society. What roles have social workers played in all this? What roles should we play?

I'll be posting regularly here, making comments on leadership issues, resources, actions. Looking forward to a challenging year of growth for us all.

2008-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00