"Leading from the Middle"

reactions to the above discussion from the following webtext: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/community/chair/membership/July2006TipsandTools.pdf.

"Joseph Badaracco, author of Leading Quietly, distilled 150 case studies into simple guidelines for leaders. Badaracco’s descriptive strategies like, “Buy a Little Time,” “Bend the Rules,” and
“Nudge, Test, Escalate Gradually” are the daily mantra of post-secondary leaders. These leadership practices are quiet, modest, behind-the-scenes—persuasive and effective. Badaracco’s research points out that quiet leaders practice restraint, modesty, and tenacity."

As a Composition Director, I lead from the middle. I nudge, test, escalate gradually toward change, toward improvement, toward consistency, toward excellence. I do not lead my department, but I lead its most important course. The course that comes into contact with more students. The course at the heart, at the middle of the institution. I am not behind-the-scenes, but underneath them, leading up and out. I am tenacious but quiet, active but restrained, visionary but modest.