Heads of IT departments are keenly aware that the top IT job is increasingly withholding the CIO title, and the top IT executive is commonly reporting to non-traditional executives such as the CTO, COO, and even the Head of HR (CPO). I think the only variation I have not yet seen is IT reporting to Sales; every other variation seems to be in play. So what’s going on? To answer the question without getting into […]
Have you noticed that technology seems to follow a predictable cycle of decentralization, then centralization, then back to decentralization, and on it goes? The data/cyber security function within companies appears to be in, or heading into, a decentralization cycle. Many executives are frustrated with the state of security, partly because the technology that businesses rely upon is engineered in a way that makes things inherently insecure. In the headwinds of this challenge, brilliant people and […]
Have you ever worked at a company where heroics of individual achievement is often celebrated more than team accomplishment? Unless you’re the hero, it’s not very fun, and teams like this typically produce anemic outcomes. Leaders who have learned how to keep individuals on the team focused on the “team’s goals” more than their “own” will attain better outcomes time and time again. Sports teams provide vivid examples of teams that should have won, but […]
The website Glassdoor provides an interesting peek into Silicon Valley companies from the employee’s perspective. Using Glassdoor as an information source, the news website SiliconValley featured an article by Michelle Quinn of the Mercury News, providing a glimpse into what Silicon Valley employees want from their leaders. Michelle observed that employees in the Valley “want to feel like a part of a mission”. Glassdoor community expert Scott Dobroski said the top CEOs in Silicon Valley […]
CIOs who possess good leadership skills and a high degree of discipline are typically quite good at running the technology department. But good CIOs know it’s critically important that their technology capabilities stay synchronized with changes in the business too. The pace of change seems to perpetually accelerate, and it can leave the technology department flat-footed and unable to adapt as quickly as the business requires at times. A passion for simplicity can help. Yves […]
Dr. Prescott Winter, former CIO and CTO of the NSA makes that exact point in a recent keynote address and article. I had the unique pleasure of working with Dr. Winter at HP, where we collaborated to devise new techniques and capabilities that enable companies, large and small, to do a better job of defending themselves and protecting sensitive data. Dr. Winter knows what he’s talking about when he gives the Fortune 100 companies a […]