Why This Framework Matters Now

In times of transformation, academic library leaders are asked to be both builders and bridge-makers—carefully managing details while cultivating trust, shared purpose, and community. Drawing on Albert O. Hirschman's distinction between skill and charisma, we can better understand what inclusive leadership demands of us—and how DEI-centered programming can serve as a proving ground for both.

Hirschman’s Leadership Lens

Albert O. Hirschman framed leadership as resting on two forms of influence:

• Skill: administrative competence and the ability to manage operations, systems, and processes.

• Charisma: vision, emotional resonance, and the power to build trust and inspire action.

In academic libraries, this duality often plays out in practice. A director might use skill to align library instruction with accreditation requirements, or charisma to champion DEI initiatives that reimagine library spaces as inclusive, transformative environments. But Hirschman’s lens isn’t just for executive leadership—it’s especially useful for middle managers navigating the everyday realities of team-based leadership.

Middle Management: The Practice Ground for Inclusive Leadership

Consider the example of a Head of Instructional Services at a mid-sized college library. When their campus launched a DEI initiative to revise the first-year curriculum, this middle manager led a team of librarians through the process of embedding anti-racist pedagogy into lesson plans and exploring ethical uses of generative AI in the classroom. They relied on skill to build timelines, facilitate instructional redesigns, and align with institutional outcomes. But it was charisma that helped sustain momentum—surfacing team anxieties, encouraging honest reflection, and modeling vulnerability and care.

Their inclusive leadership was not about commanding attention—it was about creating the conditions for growth. They fostered an environment where experimentation was encouraged and team members could find meaningful connections between their instructional goals and students’ lived experiences. Hirschman’s framework helps illuminate how both skill and charisma were necessary to make this work inclusive, strategic, and sustainable.

DEI Leadership Requires Both Competence and Conviction

This balance is essential in DEI work. Leaders must use skill to ensure projects are resourced, measurable, and aligned with institutional priorities. At the same time, they need charisma to advocate for equity, amplify marginalized voices, and respond with empathy when the work gets hard.

For instance, DEI programming—including a school desegregation exhibit and a speaker series on academic integrity and racial equity—reflects this balance. Skill was needed to manage logistics: digitizing archival content, coordinating with speakers, collaborating with another institution, and ensuring accessibility. But charisma was essential to build buy-in, engage first-generation and international students, and foster open, trusting spaces for dialogue.

Rethinking What Inclusive Leadership Looks Like

Hirschman’s insight is a timely reminder that both skill and charisma are essential for inclusive leadership. Libraries are evolving in real time—through AI integration, open pedagogy, and student-centered services. These changes require leaders who can build with competence and connect with authenticity.

Whether you’re a director, department head, or newly minted team lead, inclusive leadership is not just about what you do—it’s about how you do it. Leading with presence, empathy, and imagination is just as important as technical precision.

A Reflection for Library Leaders

As you reflect on your own leadership practice, consider:

• Do I lean more toward skill or charisma?

• Where can I stretch, so that I lead more inclusively and holistically?

• How might my leadership style evolve to better support my team and community?

Inclusive leadership isn’t about choosing a style—it’s about choosing to show up with clarity, care, and courage. In the complex ecosystem of academic libraries, that balance isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.