Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader

Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader......Page 1
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 15
Introduction......Page 17
Defining Leadership......Page 19
Leadership versus Management......Page 20
Misconceptions about Leadership......Page 26
Leadership Roles......Page 29
Importance of Vision......Page 39
Deciding Whose Vision It Is......Page 40
Helping Employees Feel Ownership......Page 42
Creating the Vision......Page 43
Aligning Your Vision with the Vision of Your People......Page 44
Inspiring Others to Share the Vision......Page 46
Making the Vision Real for People......Page 47
3 It’s the Business, Stupid!......Page 49
The Purpose of IT......Page 50
The Foolishness of Alignment......Page 51
Three Questions about IT’s Role in the Organization’s Mission......Page 52
Fiscal Management—IT Is an Investment, Not a Cost......Page 53
IT as a Tool to Drive Revenue......Page 55
Ways to Engage the Board......Page 56
The CIO as a Business Leader, Not Technologist......Page 60
Focus on What Matters......Page 62
Managing Perception versus Reality......Page 65
The Importance of Communication......Page 69
The Importance of Listening......Page 72
Who Do I Need to Communicate With?......Page 73
How Should I Communicate with Them?......Page 74
How Often Should I Communicate?......Page 76
The Need for Marketing......Page 78
What Is Your Brand?......Page 82
Leading a Volunteer Army......Page 83
Communicating Tough Messages......Page 85
Focusing on the Issue, Not the Person......Page 88
Honesty and Transparency......Page 89
5 Relationship Management......Page 93
No Man (or Woman) Is an Island......Page 94
Helping Other People Succeed......Page 95
Being a Team Builder......Page 97
Building Credibility......Page 99
The Law of WIFM—What’s in it for Me?......Page 101
Leading by Serving......Page 104
What People Feel about You Is More Important than Reality......Page 106
6 Developing Human Capital......Page 111
Leading ‘‘Persons’’......Page 112
Leveraging People’s Unique Talents......Page 114
Engaging the Whole Person......Page 115
Focusing on Strengths......Page 118
Recruiting/Retaining/Developing......Page 119
Making Sure a Person Is Better Off for Having Had the Experience......Page 122
Recognizing and Rewarding Your People’s Efforts and Successes......Page 123
7 Leading the Process of Change......Page 127
Change Is Uncomfortable......Page 128
Selling the Need for Change......Page 129
Making Change a Part of Your Culture......Page 130
Building Community......Page 134
Ensuring Buy-in......Page 135
Breaking Change into Bite-sized Chunks......Page 136
Supporting Progress along the Way......Page 137
Celebrating and Communicating Progress/Success......Page 138
Comparing Position versus Influence......Page 142
Balancing Change with Disciplined Project Management......Page 143
Developing a Culture of Innovation......Page 146
Developing a Culture of Accountability......Page 147
8 Partnering for Success......Page 151
Some Words Are Used Too Loosely......Page 152
Creating an Empowered, Team-oriented Environment......Page 153
Adjusting to the Twenty-first-century Workforce......Page 154
Partnering with Your Clients......Page 156
Partnering with Your Executive Management and Board of Directors......Page 158
Sourcing—Expanding Your Team to Include Outside Partners......Page 159
Networking in the Industry......Page 162
9 Developing the Qualities of a Great Leader......Page 165
Being Authentic......Page 166
Building Trust......Page 169
Showing Humility......Page 172
Having a Bias Toward Action......Page 173
Leveraging Collective Wisdom......Page 175
Building Personal Relationships......Page 179
Influencing Others......Page 182
Showing Your Humanity......Page 183
Empowering the People around You......Page 184
Being Likable......Page 186
Being Accountable......Page 188
The Most Important Characteristic of a Leader—Having Integrity......Page 189
Accomplishing Short-term Success Is Only the First Step......Page 191
Individual Leaders Can Drive Short-term Success......Page 193
You Need a Culture of Leadership to Ensure Long-term Viability......Page 194
A Leader’s Job Is Not Only Creating Success—It is Creating Other Leaders......Page 195
I am IT!......Page 199
Seek Alignment versus Consensus......Page 200
How Do You Feel When You Are the Customer?......Page 201
Leadership Is a Responsibility, Not a Privilege......Page 202
You Are Either Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem—the Choice Is Yours......Page 203
There Are Three Kinds of People in the World......Page 204
When You Change, Your World Changes......Page 205
About the Author......Page 209
Index......Page 211