28. Leveling Up Leadership Skills. Part 1 of 2: Are You Already Leading?

Leadership isn't just about becoming a manager.In museums, many professionals are already leading long before their job title reflects it. You might be managing projects, mentoring colleagues, solving problems across departments, influencing decisions, or becoming the person everyone turns to when something goes wrong. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Elin Filbey and Alli Schell explore what leadership actually looks like in museums and why so many professionals underestimate the leadership experience they already have. Together, they discuss:why leadership and management aren't the same thinghow to recognize when you're already operating at a leadership levelthe different levels of responsibility that exist throughout museum careerswhy job titles often fail to capture the complexity of museum workhow small museum professionals build leadership experience in unique waysthe many forms leadership can take beyond supervising staff They also break down different types of leadership, including:strategic leadershipbudget and financial leadershipproject leadershippeople leadershipinstitutional leadershipthought leadership Whether you're hoping to become a manager, preparing for senior leadership, or simply wondering if you're ready for your next career move, this episode will help you start looking at your experience through a different lens. Part 2 will focus on how to intentionally build leadership skills and communicate them effectively on your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, and during interviews.🔑 Key TakeawaysLeadership is about more than supervising people or having a management title.Many museum professionals are already demonstrating leadership without realizing it.Your job title doesn't always reflect your actual responsibilities.Leadership can include strategic thinking, budgeting, project management, mentoring, institutional planning, and thought leadership.Small museums often provide opportunities to develop broad leadership experience earlier in your career.Understanding your leadership experience is the first step toward communicating it effectively.Before you can convince hiring managers you're ready to lead, you first have to recognize the leadership skills you already have.⏱ Chapters00:00 Escape rooms, cooking & museum trivia 02:20 Introduction: Are you already leading? 05:45 Leadership vs. management 10:00 Signs you're already operating as a leader 16:00 Levels of responsibility in museum careers 28:00 Small museums and leadership experience 34:00 Strategic leadership 40:00 Budget and financial leadership 43:30 Project leadership 48:00 People leadership vs. management 54:00 Institutional leadership 56:00 Thought leadership 59:30 Why this became a two-part series 1:00:30 Preview of Part 2🔍 Keywordsmuseum leadership museum management museum careers museum professionals museum career development leadership skills museum managers museum career growth museum job search museum resumes museum leadership development professional development museums museum career coaching career advancement leadership in museums