Tonight at 10pm, in this week’s WFXR Virginia at Work, Becky Freemal will reveal our first Inspiring Leader,  Sheila Umberger, Director of Libraries for the City of Roanoke.  Sheila has led the major initiative to upgrade or completely remodel the City of Roanoke’s library locations along with launching innovative programs for children that have gained national recognition. Tune in tomorrow morning at 7:40am on Good Day Virginia to hear from Sheila about what’s next for her and her team.  Innovation is the cornerstone of this leadership talk on a new podcast with Sheila.

What are we looking for to feature someone as one of our Inspiring Leaders?

• They need to dream big
• Be innovative
• They remain positive through difficult circumstances and inspire others to do the same
• Constantly look for ways to build others up on their teams, in their organization and in our community
• They lead in a way that is the change they want to see.

How important are local libraries to their communities?

70% of parents of minors and those ages 50 and older say closing the library would have a major impact.  56& of college graduates and 52% of those between the ages of 16 and 29 paid an in-person visit to a library or bookmobile in 2015.

53% of those who used a library in the past 12 months used it as a reading or studying locale.

How can you and your team use a local library?

Large, high-tech meeting spaces are available at both of the mostly recently upgraded libraries in the City – Main Library and Raleigh Court.  If you haven’t checked out the mostly recently built County of Roanoke Library for your next team meeting, take a look.  That local library even has a beautiful auditorium for very large teams.

Short on cash and want an upgrade on your leadership skills?

Local libraries are a perfect place to spend a few hours a week to check out the most recent Harvard Business Review articles, check out the newest business books like Better, Smarter, Faster by Charles Duhigg.  You don’t have to feel guilty spending hours in a library just enjoying the atmosphere and thousands of offerings and the internet.

Do you work for someone that inspires you and your team members?  Send me an email and tell me why you’d like to seem the recognized in this series.  [email protected] or [email protected].

You can find leadership articles in our archives that will help you build trust with your teams, get promoted, increase your Conversational Intelligence©, discover the 4 Keys to More Effective Leadership and much more on our blog at https://cortexleadership.com/category/leadership-blog/