The IT Leadership Deal

At the Gartner symposium conference in Orlando they said that because people outside of IT departments are now installing their own Software and Internet solutions it is time for CIOs to re-assess the role of their functions.

As my teenage daughter might say - DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH

CIOs have had to address this challenge for years - best way to do it - be facilitator for the organisation, setting values, standards and being advisors. How? Build trusted relationships throughout your organisation, so that business peers come to you for the solution, not with the solution.

How can I help you? How can we help each other? Whatever your IT leadership question, challenge or vision, e-mail me to be anonymous - david@nakedleader.com or post as a comment. I will find out the most powerful how-to - exactly what to do, how and when. That is my promise to you - that is the IT Deal. Thank you. David

Five actions to take to accelerate IT and business change

Benchmarking

Don't do it - three reasons:

1. Your customers are important - they do not care how you are doing against another particular company, they care how you are doing with them

2. Benchmarking in IT is often only done to justify our existence - justify your existence by becoming the Provider of Choice in your organisation and stop wasting your time, and everyone else's

3. If you benchmark, you simply become as good - and as bad - as everyone else.

Alternative choice? Simply set a standard for yourselves that is higher than anyone else can ever reasonably expect of you.

Now, what are you, personally going to do?

1. Do what I suggest

2. Disagree - please post comment or e-mail me davidprivate@nakedleader.com - The IT Deal is this - you disagree, then you also put forward your own suggestion on what to do instead

3. Do what you have always done (and get what you have always got)

Five actions to take to accelerate IT and business change

Relationships -

Form them - in person, with the following, in order of importance:

1. Your customers or users (sic) especially opinion formers (people that other people listen to)

2. Your boss (if you don't get on with your boss, your life will be hell - so get on with him/her, or leave the company, or accept you are going to lose a lot of sleep)

3. Your team and people

Your relationships are your biggest way to personal and career success

Now, what are you, personally going to do?

1. Do what I suggest

2. Disagree - please post comment or e-mail me davidprivate@nakedleader.com - The IT Deal is this - you disagree, then you also put forward your own suggestion on what to do instead

3. Do what you have always done (and get what you have always got)

Five actions to take to accelerate IT and business change

The Golden Rule of Leadership

Is not - Switch from being a Manager to being a Leader

Is not - Lead more

Is - you are already leading - in all that you say, in all that you do, in all that you are

You are already communicating, coaching, managing and leading

Even if you sit in your office asleep all day - you are demonstrating yourself as a certain type of leader

Right now, realise the impact you have as a leader

And realise thIs - you already do many things leadership pretty well

As long as you believe in helping other people, you will be doing many things very well

Not the same as other people - after all, you are you
Not the same as you may have done last year - we all change
Simply as you are right now

Have the right motives and care, and people will spot it, and you will be a true leader

Now, what are you, personally going to do?

1. Do what I suggest

2. Disagree - please post comment or e-mail me davidprivate@nakedleader.com - The IT Deal is this - you disagree, then you also put forward your own suggestion on what to do instead

3. Do what you have always done (and get what you have always got)

Five actions to take to accelerate IT and business change

You...

Are told that you must lead, you must communicate, you must do this and you must do that

Well, you will only ever do any of this, to the best of your ability, for one reason, and one reason alone, because you want to

Because you choose to

You, and everyone else you know, and everyone else of this planet

So what?

So, the single most important thing to unleash in your team, in your projects and in your organisation, is desire to want to give their best

PASSION

How passionate are your people, today?

Lots - great

Ask them why and do more of the same

Less than lots -

Ask them why not and what you and they can do about it

Now,

1. Do what I suggest

2. Disagree - please post comment or e-mail me davidprivate@nakedleader.com - The IT Deal is this - you disagree, then you also put forward your own suggestion on what to do instead

3. Do what you have always done (and get what you have always got)

Five actions to take to accelerate IT and business change

The Golden Rule of Golden Rules

You will never fix the problems that you have in IT, delivery and perception the same way as you created them

And get this, 95% of your thoughts, beliefs and actions will be exactly the same today as they were yeseterday - unless you do something about it

So,

1. What one thing are you going to do differently today, as an individual?

2. What one thing are you going to do differently today, as a team?

3. What one thing are you going to do differently today, as an organisation?

Now, what are you, personally going to do?

1. Do what I suggest

2. Disagree - please post comment or e-mail me davidprivate@nakedleader.com - The IT Deal is this - you disagree, then you also put forward your own suggestion on what to do instead

3. Do what you have always done (and get what you have always got)

4. Read about another Golden Rule and see if that helps you more

Next Week, Influence and Persuasion - The Advanced Level!

Thanks for reading, and doing

Have a great weekend

David
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