Leo Lo, dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, reflects on his unconventional career path and lessons he’s learned along the way.
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My professional journey began at Hollins University. Driven by my passion for cinema and storytelling, I pursued an MFA in screenwriting while working hands-on in the campus library’s film and video collection. My ambition was clear: preserve these fragile artifacts of cultural history, capturing stories for future generations.
But life rarely follows a neat script. During a seemingly ordinary coffee conversation, a professor challenged my assumptions about the future. He suggested exploring library science programs specializing in preservation.
I discovered librarianship at a pivotal moment—it was about to undergo a dramatic transformation driven by the internet and digital technology. Recognizing the potential for innovation, I dove headfirst into a career I’d never anticipated.
I enrolled at Florida State University’s library science graduate program where I served as vice president of the ALA Student Chapter, immersing myself not only in preservation but also leadership. After graduation, I landed at Kansas State University, first as a subject librarian collaborating closely with faculty, and soon afterward as an one-of-a-kind research and development librarian, developing data-driven strategies and honing my understanding of organizational effectiveness. Although still early in my career, I already envisioned myself in strategic leadership roles, influencing the broader direction of institutions.
My next step brought me to the University of Alabama as head of the Education Library. Managing a standalone facility sharpened my operational skills and taught me the subtleties of leadership dynamics. Yet, I sought broader strategic influence, leading me to Old Dominion University and then Penn State, where as associate dean, I oversaw hundreds of faculty and staff across multiple library locations, driving strategic initiatives that significantly shaped institutional direction.
Currently, as dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, I oversee a diverse academic unit, integrating libraries, the university press, and educational programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels. Concurrently serving as president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), I find myself continually reflecting on my unconventional professional journey.
As I look back, five key insights emerge—each counterintuitive yet deeply impactful.
Career guidance often emphasizes the mantra "follow your passion," suggesting that deep, sustained interest is the surest path to professional fulfillment and success. While passion undoubtedly offers motivation, it can also inadvertently limit vision, making individuals resistant to change and less adaptable to new circumstances. But I have found that following my curiosity often leads to unexpected and positive outcomes.
Research from psychology underscores the power of curiosity in fostering long-term adaptability and creativity. Studies reveal that curious individuals consistently exhibit greater resilience, innovative thinking, and success navigating career transitions. The influential psychologist Todd Kashdan describes curiosity as the “engine of growth,” arguing that curiosity allows people to remain flexible and adaptive even amid uncertainty and change, significantly boosting long-term career outcomes.
Steve Jobs famously illustrated this same principle when he described his curiosity-driven decision to audit a calligraphy class at Reed College. Rather than sticking only to courses directly tied to a clear career path or established interest, he deliberately chose to explore calligraphy simply because it intrigued him—even though its practical relevance wasn't immediately apparent. Years later, insights from that class profoundly influenced Apple's iconic typography and design ethos.
Jobs’s story underscores the transformative power of curiosity—but crucially, it also demonstrates the importance of applying curiosity strategically, rather than randomly. Simply chasing after everything that sparks interest is neither realistic nor productive. Instead, the most successful individuals engage in deliberate reflection, asking themselves critical questions such as:
Conventional wisdom often promotes deep specialization—the belief that success comes from excelling profoundly within one narrow domain. Undoubtedly, specialization holds significant value, particularly in technical or highly regulated fields. However, throughout my journey, I discovered a complementary yet powerful approach: cultivating strategic generalism.
Strategic generalism is not about dabbling superficially in various skills. Rather, it demands thoughtful, intentional diversification, where each acquired skill actively scaffolds and amplifies the others. Author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss highlights this concept, arguing that while it’s incredibly difficult to become the absolute best in one single field, becoming proficient in two or three complementary areas is relatively achievable. A carefully chosen combination of competencies makes an individual uniquely valuable and distinctively positioned for career success.
My own career exemplifies the strategic advantage of this approach. My MFA in screenwriting from Hollins University honed my storytelling and communication skills, becoming foundational to my public speaking abilities and my effectiveness as an advocate for initiatives within libraries and higher education. Later, my MA in survey research equipped me with analytical skills, data literacy, and evidence-based reasoning. These analytical competencies didn't merely coexist with my storytelling abilities—they amplified them, enabling me to translate complex data into compelling narratives and persuasive arguments for institutional change.
Studies show that generalist executives—those whose experiences span diverse roles and industries—bring strategic flexibility to their roles, making them more inclined to explore opportunities beyond their organization’s traditional domain. They are significantly more likely to drive innovation, leveraging their broad experiences to foster creative and adaptable organizational cultures. Furthermore, generalist leaders demonstrate superior adaptability, effectively navigating uncertainty and complexity, and are uniquely capable of integrating diverse perspectives into comprehensive, well-informed decisions. As a result, organizations led by generalist executives often outperform those guided by narrowly specialized leaders, particularly in environments characterized by rapid change and multifaceted challenges.
However, generalism carries potential pitfalls. My varied experiences and multiple advanced degrees occasionally led interviewers to question my professional focus. Recruiters sometimes advised me to minimize certain aspects of my background, concerned that hiring committees might view my diverse interests as distractions rather than strengths. Recognizing this skepticism, I proactively demonstrated how each experience complemented and amplified others, creating a coherent professional narrative. Over time, my deliberate approach to generalism transformed perceived weaknesses into distinctive strengths, positioning me effectively for leadership roles requiring adaptability and innovative thinking.
Traditional leadership often centers around swiftly identifying and efficiently solving problems. While this direct approach is practical for straightforward, clearly defined issues, it can limit creativity and make it hard to spot the opportunities hidden within complex challenges. Throughout my career, I've learned that some of the most impactful leadership moments arise not from immediately solving problems as presented—but from stepping back and redefining the problem entirely.
After ChatGPT came out in November 2022, higher education faced the emerging challenge of integrating artificial intelligence technologies into our daily operations. The initial framing of this challenge seemed clear: “How do we effectively integrate AI into our education and library services and workflows?” However, I quickly recognized that this framing risked triggering resistance, fear, or confusion among staff, who might interpret AI implementation as a threat to job security or professional autonomy.
Instead of directly pursuing rapid AI implementation, I strategically reframed the challenge into a broader, more inclusive, and empowering question: “How can we equip our library staff, faculty, and students to learn about and critically engage with AI technologies?” Rather than positioning AI as a direct operational imperative—which could provoke fear or resistance—I shifted the emphasis toward education, literacy, and empowerment.
This redefinition fundamentally changed our approach and outcomes. I launched initiatives such as the ACRL Task Force for AI Competencies, positioning the library not simply as a technology adopter, but as an educational leader. I led the development of training programs, workshops, and comprehensive resources that empowered library professionals and academic communities to confidently navigate and understand AI. This reframing not only alleviated staff apprehension, but it also placed librarians in proactive educational roles, substantially enhancing our institutional profile and value.
Research strongly supports the power of problem redefinition. Studies in organizational psychology and management consistently show that teams who intentionally reframe or redefine problems—rather than hastily moving toward quick solutions—produce significantly more creative, innovative, and enduring outcomes.
Additionally, problem redefinition is particularly potent when paired with strategic generalism and curiosity. My curiosity about technology trends and my interdisciplinary training directly enabled me to see beyond conventional boundaries and effectively reframe the challenge of AI in productive ways.
Goal setting has long been celebrated as essential for personal and professional achievement. The ability to set ambitious, clear goals is indeed valuable—it provides direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose. Yet, through personal experience and careful reflection, I've discovered that goals alone can become limiting or even problematic if they're not supported by robust systems and effective habits.
As I approached my fortieth birthday, I decided to set an ambitious challenge for myself: accomplishing 45 personal and professional goals by the time I turned 45. I called this my “45 Before 45 Project.” The goals were varied—ranging from professional milestones like achieving tenure to publishing and presenting on five different disciplines, to personal aspirations like health improvements and jumping out of a plane.
This exercise profoundly changed how I viewed goal setting. On one hand, it provided a clear and motivating vision of what I wanted to achieve, enabling me to articulate and pursue a wide range of meaningful outcomes. Goals, I learned firsthand, offer valuable clarity and motivation.
However, I also discovered limitations inherent in rigidly adhering to a checklist of specific achievements. First, strict goal setting sometimes narrowed my focus too tightly. I occasionally found myself fixating on checking off specific accomplishments rather than cultivating sustainable processes. At times, I rushed through experiences just to meet deadlines or arbitrary numerical targets rather than fully engaging with the deeper purpose behind each goal. This rigidity occasionally created unnecessary stress, discouraged adaptability, and even distracted me from unexpected opportunities not captured by my original list.
This tension between the motivating clarity of goals and their potential rigidity led me to rethink my approach. I began developing systems—regular routines and reliable habits—that could support my broader aspirations. For instance, rather than fixating exclusively on achieving a set number of conference presentations or articles published, I established regular writing routines, scheduling dedicated time each day for research and writing, or daily stretching routines that led me to accomplishing the once impossible goal of being able to do the splits (on my forty-second birthday)!
Research in psychology and productivity strongly supports this systems-oriented approach. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, emphasizes precisely this point: “You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” Clear argues that while goals provide initial direction, reliable habits and processes ensure consistent, sustainable progress, especially in unpredictable environments. Thus, while setting clear goals remains vital, the real transformative power emerges from investing energy into building effective systems and reliable habits. Goals offer initial clarity and motivation, but it’s your daily habits and consistent systems that ensure lasting success.
As we deepen our careers and grow more experienced, there’s often a natural inclination to rely on expertise and familiar solutions. Yet, precisely at these moments, it’s essential to remain open to uncertainty and ambiguity—conditions that can catalyze innovation in surprising and transformative ways.
One vivid example comes from my time at Penn State University Libraries during the COVID-19 crisis. As the pandemic disrupted traditional workflows, our team was forced to quickly adapt to remote work and shifting priorities. Rather than clinging to old models or waiting for a perfectly clear plan, we embraced the ambiguity of the moment. In response, we developed the Penn State University Libraries’ Job Bank initiative—a dynamic system for redistributing work that allowed us to manage workloads effectively and support our staff during a period of significant disruption. This new approach differed fundamentally from typical top-down assignments. Responsibilities evolved iteratively, guided by continuous communication and real-time feedback. Staff could temporarily assume new roles, experiment with unfamiliar tasks, and collaborate across units, anticipating changes as circumstances shifted.
By explicitly framing the Job Bank as adaptable and responsive rather than fixed, we embraced the crisis’s inherent ambiguity. This flexibility helped increase morale and collaboration, revealing new operational strategies that continued benefiting the library long after the crisis ended.
Research in adaptive leadership supports this counterintuitive approach. Heifetz and Laurie argue that leaders who are comfortable with ambiguity are better equipped to navigate complex challenges, as they remain open to multiple possibilities and novel solutions.
Throughout my career, I've learned that unconventional pathways often lead to the most meaningful outcomes. By thoughtfully following curiosity anchored in purpose, strategically integrating diverse skills, reframing challenges to reveal deeper opportunities, prioritizing sustainable systems over rigid goals, and leaning into uncertainty as a catalyst for innovation, I transformed obstacles into stepping stones for growth. While these insights counter traditional advice, they consistently fostered adaptability, creativity, and resilience in the face of change.
In sharing these reflections, I hope to encourage others to embrace their unique journeys boldly, confidently navigating complexity and uncertainty toward careers defined by authentic impact and continuous growth.
10.1146/katina-20250408-1
