Library Leadership Lessons Gleaned from WWII Submariners

Abstract

Many aspects of good leadership have not changed over time. This article uses examples from World War II submarining, particularly Capt. Eugene Fluckey’s experiences, as a launching point for discussing modern academic library leadership. There are six points of leadership discussed which alternate between submarining and libraries: selecting team members, cross-training, respecting the individual, developing esprit de corps, communicating hard truths, and thinking big thoughts.