Building Better IT Leaders from the Bottom
Up
Chapter 6
18-1© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Leadership Is Everyone’s Job
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“Effective leadership has enormous benefits. To realize these benefits, leadership qualities should be explicitly recognized, reinforced, and rewarded at all levels of the IT organization.” (McKeen and Smith, 2003)
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Why Is the IT Organization a Hierarchy?
Little Pressure to Change
Organization that IT is a Part of is
Hierarchical
Senior Executives have Difficulty Relinquishing
Control
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© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Transformational IT Leadership Requires …
Top-Line FocusNew technologies & apps drive differentiation & transformationStrong IT leadership teams needed to influence business leaders
CredibilityMust demonstrate skills & competencies to make commitments
ImpactAll IT staff need stronger entrepreneurial capabilitiesEven small IT decisions can have major impact the organization
FlexibilityIT must responsive to changing business needs
ComplexityExpected to offer low-cost, change & innovation leadership
New TechnologyIncreasingly mobile tech requires innovation in business relationship
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© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
What Makes a Good IT Leader?
• Self-knowledge• Awareness of individuals
approaches to work• Adapt to different
situations
Personal Mastery
• Motivation & Team Building
• Collaboration & Communication
• Risk Assessment & Problem Solving
• Coaching & Mentoring
Leadership Skill Mastery
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What Makes a Good IT Leader? Continued
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• Strategic Vision• Solid Understanding of
Current Operations• Solid Understanding of
Fute Direction
Business Understan
ding
• Ability to Execute Enterprise Transformation
• Ability to Integrate Technology with People & Processes
• Political Savvy & Effective Use of Governance Structures
Organizational
Understanding
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
What Makes a Good IT Leader? Continued
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• Create an Environment of Trust
• Create an Environment of Accountability
• Create an Environment of Empowerment
Creating a Supportive Working Environme
nt• Ability to Concentrate on
Biggest Payoff Areas• Recognize where
Resources Should Not be Used
• Enhance People’s Abilities
Effective Use of
Resources
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
What Makes a Good IT Leader? Continued
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• Know where and how to exercise leadership
• Adjust style to suit the situation
Flexibility of
Approach
• Ability to articulate contributions in business terms
• Ability to interact with business leaders
• Ability to educate and guide business leaders in the use of technology
Ability to Gain
Business Attention
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Flexible Leadership Styles (Roberts and Mingay, 2004)
Commanding: “Do What I Tell You”
Pacesetting: “Do as I Do Now”
Visionary“Come with Me”
Affiliate“People come First”
Coaching“Try This”
Democratic“What do You Think”
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© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Effective Leadership Development Requires…
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Figure 1
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Elements of a Supportive Environment Include
Well articulated and instantiated valuesClimate of trustEmpowermentClear & frequent communicationAccountability
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Process & Practices
Well defined & documented activitiesPlanningBudgetingConflict resolutionService deliveryFinancial reviews
Establish job rotations & mentoring programs
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Formal Training
Requires formal planning & a plan to follow
Internally developed or externally purchased
Requires time commitment to ensure staff can take advantage of training
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© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Conclusion
Senior IT leaders must make IT leadership development a priorityif IT is going to contribute to business strategy
Management must take comprehensive approach to integrate culture, behavior, processes & training to deliver business value
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