IT Leadership Manual: Roadmap to Becoming a Trusted Business Partner

Praise for IT Leadership Manual

"Alan Guibord has written a book that every current and aspiring IT leader should consider mandatory reading. With rising expectations from the C–suite and an increasingly complex and ever–changing business environment, the demands on IT leaders have never been greater. This book highlights the new set of ′soft skills′ that are critical for success today. Loaded with practical, real–world lessons based on Guibord′s thirty–five years of experience, this book will help you develop and refine your own leadership style and build a foundation for successful leadership."
Dan Roberts, CEO and President, Ouellette & Associates Consulting, Inc.

"Alan Guibord has both the credentials to write about IT leadership and the ability to convey what he has learned. He uses a storytelling style to educate his readers on the importance of issues too often ignored among IT executives. His emphasis on personal performance, preparation, social networks, and even generational differences among IT staff makes the IT Leadership Manual a unique and important read for any future IT leader."
Doug Hubbard, Hubbard Decision Research, author of How to Measure Anything

"Alan′s book is the culmination of his experiences and the many lessons he has learned along the way in his notable career in IT leadership. The expectations placed on IT leaders are changing dramatically and roles will continue to be redefined in our rapidly changing technology and business environment. Alan′s book provides an excellent resource to help IT leaders in their transformation. The format is designed to serve as a guideline such that every individual can perfect their own leadership style, and also as a valuable resource throughout an IT leadership career. Alan′s down–to–earth style and common sense approach makes this a must–read."
Mark Polansky, Senior Client Partner and Managing Director, Information Technology Officers Practice, Korn/Ferry International

"Unlike most in this genre, Guibord knows his stuff. More importantly, he′s walked ′in the other fellow′s moccasins.′ His recommendations amount to an ′IT tool box′ of invaluable suggestions for making the CIO an integral part of the business plan and provide the CIO with the means to expose the ROI that these contributions can deliver. Read it, reflect on it, act on it."
Anthony A. Wood, former owner and COO, CDM Technologies, Inc., Retired USMC

Foreword xi

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xxi

CHAPTER 1 The Journey: Today s Leadership Challenges 1

The New World Order and the IT Challenge 4

Today s Cultures 8

Objective of This Book 12

CHAPTER 2 We Are All Unique 15

Look within Yourself First 16

Self–Evaluation Process 17

Reading Others 18

Make Time for Yourself 19

Know What You Don t Know 22

Journey to Self–Awareness 22

Self–Awareness Exercise 23

Be Prepared 25

Make Time for You and Live in the Moment 26

Seek a Mentor 28

Are You in Balance? 30

What Motivates You? 31

Do You Have Passion? 33

What Will I Be When I Grow Up? 34

Notes 36

CHAPTER 3 Are You Ready to Make a Move? 37

Evaluate Yourself and the New Position 40

Dealing with the Change 43

Do Your Homework 46

The Integration Process 49

Building the Foundation of Trust 52

CHAPTER 4 Developing Your Leadership Style 57

Cast Your Own Shadow 59

Consult a Mentor 63

Leaders Succeed from the Bottom Up, Not the Top Down 66

Building a Strong Team 71

It Is Okay to Be Passionate 75

CHAPTER 5 Soft Stuff Is What Really Matters 79

The Generation Gap 81

Combining Cultures 83

Match Your Style to the Market 85

Ego Gets You Fired 89

Be a Good Communicator 93

CHAPTER 6 How Do You Compete? 99

Competing on the Job Is Not Enough 100

It Isn t Just about Winning 103

Instill Competition in Your Organization 105

Controlled Aggression 106

Politics 109

Understand the Uniqueness of the Environment 113

CHAPTER 7 Do You Have Enough Friends? 119

You Need Friends to Succeed 121

Building a Network Is Critical 124

No Man Is an Island 126

Building a Network 129

Always Be Willing to Help 132

It Is All about Relationships 134

Networks Are Connected 136

CHAPTER 8 What Is Your Balance? 139

Striving and Never Arriving 140

Make Every Day Unique 142

Filter Your Input and Make the Right Decisions 149

Slow Down to the Pace of Life 154

CHAPTER 9 How Good Are You at Sales? 159

Presenting Is Entertaining 162

CEO Means Chief Sales Officer 166

Sales Is Influencing Behavior 169

What Is Your Sales Style? 170

Sales Is the Most Difficult Part of Starting a Business 173

Are You Trustworthy? 174

CHAPTER 10 Are You Ready to Make the Change? 179

Getting Acclimated to the New Company 182

Preparing for the Interview 184

Getting Comfortable in Your New Role 187

Understanding the Culture 192

Learning the Language 193

Identifying and Building Relationships with Power Brokers 197

Integration Is an Ongoing Process 199

CHAPTER 11 Today s New World and How We Cope 201

The Influence of the Internet 202

What Is the Market Looking for in a Leader? 206

The Distributed Workplace 208

Create a Plan for You 210

Become a Mentor Yourself 212

Learn to Present to the Interest of the Audience 214

Bringing It All Together 218

About the Author 223

Index 225

ALAN R. GUIBORD has more than thirty years of global IT leadership experience. The founder and Chairman of The Advisory Council (TAC), Guibord is considered an IT visionary. He has held CIO positions in small to midsized organizations as well as Global Fortune 500 corporations. He served as a member of their top executive teams. Additionally, Guibord has lectured at leading universities, presented to IT leadership groups around the world, and acted as an advisor to several key firms, including Oracle, 3Com, and Microsoft. He is also a coach and mentor to several IT executives.