Leading Strategy

Top 10 Attributes of Great IT Leaders



What is that special something that allows one person to cut through the noise, trauma, distress, and drama and deliver?  Having had the opportunity to work with some of the IT Industry's most productive people, I always appreciate those attributes that makes an IT Leader SHINE.  

Top 10 Attributes of Great IT Leaders 


 1. Keen Listening and Observation Skills. 


 2. They Treat People of All Levels,  Consistently, with Respect and Dignity. 

 3. Dedicated to articulating what success looks like, and engaging people to support the cause. 

 4. Transparent without baggage or hidden agenda's they care about solving the right problems right now. 

 5. Patient and consistent with helping others grow and transform organizational capabilities.  

 6. Resilient in engaging others, courageous in striving for success,  seeking achievable progress on the path.

 7. Clear on how to balance effective understanding and change dynamics.  

 8. Acts on the expectation of goodness of others, and looks to allow more of that to shine in new ways. 

 9. Encourages by example, willing to help lead, listen, and serve as part of a respectful team. 

10. Is approachable at the individual and macro level to create a culture of  mobilized change. 


We can make a huge difference by being dedicated, transparent, patient, and resilient even in the face of obstruction. 


TIPS and Techniques for Cultivating Greatness:   

>>>  PROFILES IT Excellence  <<<
S1 just 2 days on the job, held a workshop, to assess and transform. He was able to sense complexity, cut through noise and deliver uncommon solutions one at a time. He treated everyone with respect and got problems identified and had a resolution model in weeks.  He identified the hidden talent a platform to shine, he was able to get everyone engaged and inspired about the direction by listening, connecting the dots, and delivering! Week after week problems got solved and next problems were solved.  He was tirelessly engaging support and connecting dots, and empowering people to help him and the team to deliver and work most effectively. 
  
R1, came into US operations with customer satisfaction at an all time low, hold times over 20 minutes.  People were quitting, constantly abused by angry customers. Burnout was high at all levels.  He promised 30 days observation and then solutions. When political posturing started, he resisted temptation to prejudge, when there was angry customers, he said do business as usual.  He observed for 30 days.  On day 31, he implemented his plan for transformation and in 9 months, the organization grew from 20 to 120 people, with customer satisfaction over 95% and hold times of less than 3 minutes. He developed leaders, capabilities, and delivered accountable sustainable operations.  He cared about the individual and macro level and his focus set the stage for fully engaged enterprise transformation that then partnered with other groups to solve more complex problems, positioning IT Help Desk as a reliable service partner for problem identification, communication and resolution. 


COMMENTS?  What articles or experiences have you had in cultivating great IT Leadership Skills?  How have you navigated tough IT Leadership challenges?Who does this well?  What did they do differently than the rest?   


Dawn C Khan: about.me | twitter | linkedin |

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