Today businesses require a new type of technology leadership from their CIO, CTO and/or CISO. They are expected to do much more than manage technology. The technology leader today is a business leader who knows the organization’s business inside and out, and is responsible for revenue generation through digital transformation of products and services. Information Technology has moved from being a business enabler to being an integral part of the business where IT is the product and service being launched.
With this evolution there are certain skills that technology leaders must develop and today’s digital transformation technology leaders need to be change agents for the entire organization. Digital initiatives today require more than innovation and updated technology skills, they also require a massive change in corporate culture. For today’s technology leaders, taking the lead as a cultural change agent is becoming critical to their success.
The war for technology talent is fierce. Not only must technology leaders recruit and attract top talent, they must also create a culture within their organizations that supports and retains this talent. Hiring superstars doesn’t matter if you can’t keep them. Technology leaders who build a culture where their high performers have a diverse career path and employees are retrained with skills for the future will have significant advantages in attracting talent from outside and retaining talent in their organizations.
The leadership requirements outlined above are not about technical skills but rather soft skills such as communication, collaboration with other business leaders, mentoring and developing teams, and leading change. Organizations need to equip their technology leaders now more than ever with these tools through leadership development and coaching programs to become the broad business leaders necessary to be successful in today’s environment.
Organizations that fail to provide technology leaders with leadership tools and training are at risk of falling behind competitors who have innovated their business models through digital transformation. Technology leaders that can actualize technology innovations that provide business opportunities, be a change agent for the organization to embrace these innovations, and recruit, develop, and retain the best talent, will give the company a significant competitive advantage.
Do the technology leaders in your organization have the tools and training to give your company this kind of an advantage over the field? If not, don’t be left behind -close the soft skills gap in your technology leaders!