Skills IT leaders need to have

IT executives bring more than just a technology perspective. To be effective in their roles, CIOs and CTOs need to cultivate leadership skills around strategic planning, building trust, mentoring and coaching, and servant leadership. This year, our community shared many articles about building these key “soft skills” in leading organizations.

1. Strategic planning

In today’s constant hum of change, IT leaders may think that it’s impossible to create long-range plans. But IT leaders need to keep their eye on the big picture and their role in supporting the organization’s strategic goals. To do that, IT leaders need to develop their own strategic plans that align with the organization’s direction.

Earlier this year, we shared guidance on planning for the future that identified several themes, including guiding principles, goals, actions, and measures. By establishing your IT strategic plan, you will set a path for your organization to follow. In doing so, your organization will know how to orient itself in the face of new technologies and challenges, and adapt to a changing landscape.

2. Building trust

Open organizations rely on accountability and meritocracy; trust is a central component to each. Ron shared a reflection on building trust within teams and organizations that discussed how to measure trust, how to build trust, and how to cultivate trust.

When developing trust, work from the "inside out." Begin with yourself, then evaluate trust at the team, organizational, and market levels. Ron shared a few checklists to get you started—questions you can ask yourself to evaluate the degree of trust in your relationships, including personal trust, relational trust, and organizational trust.

3. Mentoring and coaching

Part of giving thanks to the people who supported you in your technology career is giving back to those who are just starting theirs. David wrote about why it’s important for IT leaders to mentor and coach others. This can be a great way to “pay it forward,” to support the next generation of future leaders.

David wrote this about coaching and mentoring: “In the more than fifty years I have been playing—and working—in the computer industry, I have been fortunate to have many excellent mentors. They helped me to learn and to grow, enabling me to find progressively better jobs with higher salaries. .. My mentors allowed me to fail and then guided me as I worked through fixing the problems I created for myself. They always supported me and were there when I needed them. I could not be where I am today had it not been for those mentors.”

4. Servant leadership and open organizations

Open organizations are a different approach to managing an organization. The open organization approach relies on transparency, inclusivity, adaptability, collaboration, and community—mixed with a “servant” leadership model. When implemented well, an open organization can turn on a dime to identify and address new challenges.

Ron shared his leadership essay about moving to a community servant model and Open Organization approach to be more broadly responsible and be more adaptive to a changing global environment. Corporations and other organizations can leverage the five parts of an Open Organization to make a greater impact.

5. Saying thank you

There’s an old saying in management circles that “the best reward for a job well done is more work.” But hard-working teams need more than that; they need appreciation.

This year, we shared advice for managers about the simple but powerful act of saying and accepting thanks. A simple “Thank you” can be a powerful way to show your appreciation. At the end of a project, or even at the end of a hard day, go to your staff and say “Thank you.” When someone recognizes you and specifically says “Thank you,” accept this gift by replying, “You’re welcome.” This shows gratitude for what they’ve said, and completes the exchange.