The February 27th issue of Time magazine contains an article entitled “What Would Steve Do?“ by Rana Foroohar. I am calling attention to this because of the lessons Ms. Foroobar extracts from Walter Isaacson‘s book on Steve Jobs, lessons I believe should be embodied in all coaching relationships between technologists and business managers because they...Read More
I was asked by a non-profit to speak about ‘executive presence.’ Beyond thinking it was about how good one looks and how well one projects, akin to stage presence, I knew little, so I did some research and learned a lot. My favorite definition was: “Executive presence is an authentic quality that builds trust in...Read More
With apologies to Strother Martin and Paul Newman, who spoke the title of this blog in their 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, I was recently on VoiceAmerica (http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1984) internet radio, where I was interviewed about this topic, specifically relating to the communication failures between information technology managers and business managers and the impact of virtual...Read More
Business strategy, planning and technology strategy inherently belong together. Unfortunately, many firms do so sequentially, or not at all, which makes the technologists’ job even more difficult and many businesses critical of their technology investments. The effect on business performance is significant. I recently read a series of steps firms can take to integrate these...Read More
Yesterday I attended a CIO Summit, put on by the Society for Information Management (SIM) in New York City. My attendance was prompted by the topic of IT leadership, which was covered in several breakout sessions and by the keynote speakers. It was gratifying to hear senior technology executives say they recognize what they need...Read More
Technology management is not getting any easier, despite technology’s ubiquity, the ease with which we integrate it with our daily lives and cloud-based services, which should simplify nearly everything if you believe the press. The primary reason why there’s a disconnect — a lack of meshing — between users who believe technology should be straightforward...Read More
Another great interview about doing the job you were meant to do was in yesterday’s New York Times Business section: “Sometimes, You Need to Blow the Fuses.” Bill Kling, founder and president emeritus of American Public Media, said you have to follow your instincts, when asked what he would want to teach business school students....Read More
Achieving your highest performance means doing what you never considered possible. Metaphorically, according to Ana Dutra, CEO of Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting in “Sprinkles of Pixie Dust” in The New York Times of December 11, 2011, ‘…all executives have ambition, but don’t believe they can fly.’ I believe it is the responsibility of managers...Read More
A recent McKinsey survey (from December 2011 McKinsey Quarterly “A Rising Role for IT: McKinsey Global Survey Results”) notes a true dichotomy in IT performance and IT’s role in business decision-making. While an increasing number of non-IT executives give IT a score of 61% for basic services like email and laptop support, only 26% rank...Read More
Daniel Goleman‘s “Transforming Leadership from Art to Science” describes six leadership styles: Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding. Of these, the last two are to be used sparingly and only when appropriate. In the New York Times of December 11, 2011, there was an article about Daniel F. Akerson, General Motors’s chief executive officer,...Read More
