Leadership and the Political: The Environment of the Information Management Organization

If aligning with organizational mission, sustainability (i.e., competition for continuing resources), and demonstration of contributions to organizational success now require a degree of political savvy on the part of Library and Information Science (LIS) leaders and managers, then a chapter on this topic is critical for this new Handbook. More so because viewing instances, issues, and challenges within LIS politically is not taught to any degree in MLS programs. What then do we mean by the terms “political” and “leadership”? This attempt to frame the concepts will not establish definitive benchmarks – both concepts have been the object of theoretical speculation for millennia. But they will be formulated to be practical – that is responsive to contemporary issues and to overcome some of the weaknesses of the management literature.