SEPTEMBER - 2018ENTERPRISE SECURITY| | 9the quality of IT leadership can be lacking without being readily apparent. If we assume that digital transformation is the business and IT needs to be a driving force for transformation success, then what does the company need from IT leadership? The CIO needs to exhibit the qualities of an excellent CEO as much as s/he needs to be a decent technology leader. In simple terms, being a CIO with CEO like qualities means that at a minimum you do the following; carry a vision for the organization, you effectively keep IT strategy aligned with that vision, and you can show how it directly impacts business outcomes. It means that you are kissing babies and making friends, and that you're the best sales person and marketer for the IT function. It also means that the buck stops with you. Creating and maintaining a sustainable path?It is a function of every good leader to build sustainability into their strategies. I'm not talking being tree hugger (although I am one), I'm talking about being able to sustain your culture, agility, and staffing. Another reason strong leadership is needed during times of great change is that there is terrific stress on the people. Limiting the impact of the stress on your team and even the company is a huge opportunity. If you can limit the stress you're likely to have fewer turnovers, better productivity, and therefore a better ability to sustain your culture. One of the simplest things a leader can do is talk to their people. I'm personally a huge fan of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard who taught "MBWA" (Management By Walking Around). MBWA is literally the easiest thing a leader can do and yet it's so often overlooked or abandoned when times are tough. If the team falls apart, it doesn't matter how hard you worked on that board presentation or how far you pushed a partner, it will all be for naught. Many of us have the bad habit of thinking that knowing your team is nice and yet it's actually everything. When the going gets tough, double down on the human aspect of your job, don't lock yourself in your office. Transformation is here, today, tomorrow and foreverWe can choose to embrace the need to reframe our strategy in support of creating a sustainable organization that can accept the challenge of becoming a platform or we can choose to lose. There is unlikely to be much middle ground for the vast majority of businesses. Digital transformation is the best opportunity for IT to take the leadership position in the effort to create a lasting and successful business that most of us will ever see in our careers. ESDigital transformation is the best opportunity for IT to take the leadership position in the effort to create a lasting and successful business that most of us will ever see in our careersMark Thiele
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