The Challenge of Leadership: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
In early March 2003, NAMAC hosted an online salon, entitled "Intergenerations," to discuss leadership development. This salon was part of an ongoing conversation about the challenges facing emerging and established leaders in the media arts, and how generational differences influence people working for these organizations. Moderated by Leslie Ito of Visual Communications, the salon allowed participants to offer their ideas, concerns, and suggestions. Ito shared action-steps that current and emerging leaders can take to begin a process of greater awareness of oneself and others, especially stakeholders and followers. These steps include: growing leaders within organizations, exploring the work of emerging leaders, leading and following by example, protecting investments, taking risks, and developing networks of support. Salon participants noted that regardless of one s position, title, education, or years on the job, leadership involves influencing others towards mutually desirable outcomes. Every time someone makes a positive difference in another person s life, or contributes to the success of their organization, he or she becomes a leader.
EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED LEADERS
In my own experience, leadership begins with an inward journey, as one develops the capacity to follow-through during challenging times. Leaders need space to learn how to solve problems, to take responsibility for their actions, and to instill these values in others. Do leaders of different generations approach leadership differently? Several participants, including Felicia Sullivan of the Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, noted that emerging leaders are at times viewed by established leaders as less driven by passion for media, art, or social issues than those with more time "in the trenches." NAMAC s Jack Walsh pointed to the "martyr complex" possessed by some established leaders, who carry the expectation that media arts professionals must work longer hours for less pay. Emerging leaders don t always share this expectation. They seek to establish a better balance between professional and personal life. Despite some organizations experiences with high turnover, Ito cited research done by the Illinois Arts Council which shows that individuals hired as emerging leaders are in fact a stable group. These professionals remained with their employers at least five years, or moved into positions that offered more responsibilities and opportunities for growth. As a group, emerging leaders are aware that many executive-level salaries at media arts organizations are lower than in other fields. Thus, these leaders are very committed to growth, seeking opportunities to gain professional, managerial, and leadership skills, usually to supplement college education. The combination of these skills means that emerging leaders are aware of developments in the field and are able to deal effectively with change.
LEADING CHANGE
Several salon participants, including Elizabeth Weatherford of the National Museum of the American Indian, and Jack Walsh, emphasized that while various advancements in media arts and technology are taking place, many organizations across the nation are experiencing economic downturn or instability. Growing leadership during adverse times requires sustaining an organizational vision while being able to "get the right amount done with less." Sherry Miller Hocking of the Experimental Television Center in New York expressed concern that emerging leaders must build on previous successes in the independent media field and not lose sight of media history.
Generally, there is a perception of emerging leaders as "change insurgents" or "heat seekers." For some established leaders, new ideas may appear too risky, and they may want to "go back to the basics." Past success can breed complacency, making it difficult for emerging leaders within organizations to explore new trails. On the other hand, the field is constantly changing, and leaders have to keep up with that. The world has changed profoundly since the time when there where simpler paths to media- and art-making. Sometimes our job really is about change. Leslie Ito observed that media arts and technology organizations are ahead of the curve as far as addressing change. She stated, "I think with the nature of the media arts and technology, the field, in general, is more adaptable to change and thus more open to talk about it. Many arts communities do not want to talk about intergenerational leadership issues, because it means talking about change."
Jack Walsh contributed this comment on the issue: "I believe that a major part of leadership is understanding capacity in our organizations, our staffs, and also ourselves. Equally important, and perhaps the harder part of the work, is making decisions to cut programs when there is not adequate support and they are not part of our core missions. This is not to say that we shouldn t venture outside of our core missions, because our field changes rapidly. Change is inevitable, and I believe it should be embraced. However, it should be done thoughtfully." Walsh also noted that established leaders have witnessed several economic cycles, including trends that have come and gone such as the "dot-com explosion." Jeff Liu of Visual Communications and Elizabeth Weatherford were among those who stressed that while digital convergence is here to stay, leaders must communicate to insure that old strategies that work are not lost, and at the same time come up with ways to "think outside the box."
Maura King of Frameline noted the importance of established leaders contextualizing the field - recognizing common ground or shared values with emerging leaders - in order to explore new ideas and solve problems that will help sustain the vision or missions of their organizations. Salon participants including NAMAC s Dan Schott, independent arts consultant Morrie Warshawski, and Felicia Sullivan discussed the importance of making investments in emerging leaders. They shared stories related to transparency - the benefit of fostering an open environment within organizations to help emerging leaders develop their skills.
LEADERSHIP INVESTMENTS
In these challenging and difficult times, it is critical that media arts and technology organizations make investments to recruit emerging leaders, or encourage leadership development of existing staff. In order to do this, established leaders must create a work environment that encourages empowerment. Staff must be able to balance professional, managerial, and leadership roles within their organizations. Emerging leaders should be encouraged early on in their careers to network, seek out professional mentors and peer support, and participate in leadership workshops. These investments help emerging leaders to be more proactive in dealing with change.
My first full-time job as a media education and technology program coordinator allowed me to manage a department of over 200 volunteers and staff, oversee an annual budget, and participate in strategic planning. My supervisor took me under her wing, allowing me to shadow her in staff and board meetings and at local, regional, and national conferences. An established leader in her field, she became my professional adviser, mentoring me within the organization and encouraging me to participate in distance-learning management courses and comprehensive leadership institutes.
Now, as a director at a multimedia center, I am committed to providing leadership resources, growing leadership from within, and helping the staff improve their skills. I realize that as a mentor or guide I am also learning and building. I have much in common with other emerging leaders because I am still investing in my own leadership development: developing networks of peer support, participating in national roundtables and conferences, and taking my share of risks.
Three years ago, we hired a consultant, Josh, to teach digital video production in our new multimedia center. At the time, he was a graduate student at a local college, majoring in new media. After a few months, Josh was hired as a part-time digital media assistant. He worked fifteen hours per week while completing his Master s thesis, an interactive DVD. I worked with Josh and other staff to explore new media and digital art applications, teach members/students, and develop programs that were shared with outside organizations. Josh was encouraged to take risks and share his ideas. As a result, he became more interested in community media and technology. In fact, he discovered a latent talent in teaching. Last year, Josh graduated and was promoted to digital media program manager, a full-time position. He is now an emerging leader, leading and following by example.
FROM EMERGING LEADERS TO SUCCESSORS
On a final note, many emerging leaders have not always viewed themselves as leaders. Usually, someone else recognized his or her potential and encouraged the individual to develop his or her own capacity and abilities. Sometimes this happens in school, but often this can occur on the job - especially when an established leader is committed to succession. As Marci Hosier of Tualatin Valley Television stated, leaders should be constantly working to pull together resources to insure that when they leave the transition will be smooth. Succession-planning is an important part of organizational sustainability. Creating upward paths within media arts and technology organizations helps to reduce turnover and gives emerging leaders the sense that dedication and hard work will be appreciated.
The journey from "emerging" to "established" can be challenging, especially when combined with obstacles such as economics, technological advancements, and false perceptions. As generations clash, fields converge, and new trends signal more challenges ahead, it becomes even more important that established and emerging leaders work together to deal effectively with change by taking risks and sustaining their organizations. The number one challenge of today s media arts and technology leadership is removing barriers to communication and collaboration.
Nettrice R. Gaskins is an artist, multimedia center director, and adjunct faculty member of a community media and technology program. She co-founded a national initiative that helps organizations integrate art and technology into new and existing programs, especially for youth.
© 2003 National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. All Rights Reserved.
