Museum Leadership: The Why, Not the How

1. Does your organization have a shared values statement? If not, make one. A values statement is a governor on organizational action in the same way a collections policy limits what you collect.

2. If you are a board member, ask yourself if you're still passionate about the heritage or arts organization you serve. Are you a board member out of duty, habit or love?

3. If you are a staff person, do you understand and believe in your organization's values? Can you articulate how your program or department upholds those values?

4. Many of us enter the museum world because things intrigue us--- photographs or film, textiles or 18th-century high chests, landscape design or stained glass. As our careers move forward we find ourselves distanced from things, managing people and programs instead. Ask yourself why the museum field matters to you now. Why should it matter to your state legislator?

5. Last, find the why in your work. Join your colleagues in making it matter. Life will be better and your planning process will go smoothly. Tell us how you differentiate the how from the why at your museum or heritage organization. Joan Baldwin