March 3, 2025
The world is full of leaders: leaders in government, healthcare, business, academia, and many other sectors. But what makes a good leader? Maurice Wheeler (SCI ’94), Director of Archives at the Metropolitan Opera, addressed this question on Jan. 27 in his talk, “Risky Business: The Politics of Successful Library Leadership” as part of the School of Computing and Information’s 2024-25 Dean’s Spotlight Series. Wheeler discussed his own experience in library leadership throughout his career and emphasized the importance of two influences: institutional politics and organizational culture.
Wheeler began by discussing how he came to a leadership position at the Detroit Public Library. As director of the library, Wheeler learned to navigate organizational politics and culture to accomplish the library’s goals, lead a team of professionals, and foster a working environment that is healthy, productive, and collaborative.
“All organizations have a culture, but often little thought is given to ways that the culture affects functionality and impacts the organization,” said Wheeler. “Understanding the culture allows librarians to lead and adapt to both institutional and environmental changes. It takes work to ensure that the culture aligns with the organization’s values.”
It’s up to leaders to ensure that their organization operates in line with its values. A significant factor in that is guaranteeing that people working within the organization feel like they are making a meaningful contribution through their everyday work.
“Organizations are healthier when people are valued, respected, encouraged, and supported,” said Wheeler. “That doesn’t happen when the culture is unhealthy, so we as leaders, whether we lead from the top, middle, or bottom, we are leaders in responsibility - we create healthy environments.”
People are at the core of an organization. Leaders must uplift and develop strong connections with their colleagues to ensure success. Wheeler’s thoughts resonate with SCI initiatives like the SCI Dean’s Spotlight Series itself. Whether developing connections with renowned researchers or bringing the SCI community together to celebrate its own talents, SCI is passionate about lifting colleagues up.
“Ultimately, relationships are at the core of all organizational politics,” said Wheeler. “They can often enhance advocacy, negotiation, and relationship building. This, I think, is the essence of why a deep understanding of organizational culture and human nature matters in leadership.”
Wheeler concluded his talk by urging fellow leaders to understand and embrace organizational politics and culture. By understanding these influences, leaders will have the tools to transform their libraries and set them up to thrive.
“If you’re going to be ready for your next challenge, it’s up to you to be strategic, intentional, and bold,” said Wheeler, whose entire career has been grounded by a desire to facilitate increased access to professional opportunities and information. “Becoming politically savvy will help you ensure your organization’s success. You must take the responsibility for your own growth.”
Watch a recording of the talk and learn more about Maurice Wheeler.