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Earlier this year, while participating in the Texas Municipal League’s Leadership Academy, a fellow local government leader made a statement during an open discussion that has stayed with me: “When the leader hates what they’re doing, it’s felt all the way down.” At the time, I did not even know he was a city manager. …

I recently heard a statement that resonated with me: “A giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing.” I didn’t hear that as a story about someone who needs to become bigger, someone who is lost and needs to find their way, someone whose humility should be mistaken for weakness, or someone who needs to …

Over the past year or so, I have been thinking differently about professional growth. For a long time, many of us are taught to think about career advancement vertically: work hard, perform well, earn another credential, accept greater responsibility, and eventually someone recognizes that effort with the next opportunity. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. …

Wellness can sometimes feel like one more thing we are supposed to be doing. Drink more water. Get enough sleep. Exercise. Meditate. Journal. Eat well. Set boundaries. Take breaks. Practice gratitude. Get outside. Turn off the phone. All of these things can support our well-being, but when wellness becomes another list of expectations to meet, …

Before a leader can lead anything well, they must learn how to read themselves. Not their calendar. Not the room. Not the expectations around them. Not the next demand waiting for their attention. Themselves. Their body. Their breath. Their energy. Their needs. Their patterns. Their purpose. Grounded leadership begins with the ability to notice when …

For years, much of my professional work, writing, and reflection has been shaped by my experience in libraries, public service, technology leadership, and organizational operations. If you have spent time on Jaketha.com, you may notice older posts that speak directly to library leadership, public service, staff development, workplace culture, and operational challenges within library environments. …

I recently had the opportunity to present two sessions at the Louisiana Library Association (LLA) Conference—an experience that led to meaningful conversations with colleagues across the profession about leadership, collaboration, and workplace culture in libraries. My breakout session, “Breaking Down Silos: Leading with Collaboration,” explored how organizational silos can develop within institutions and how leadership …