Читать книгу The Big Shift in IT Leadership - Muller Hunter - Страница 6

There's no question that IT has reached a tipping point. The sense of change is undeniable. Everywhere you look, the signs all point toward the largest and most significant transformation since the dawn of IT.

Naturally, chief information officers (CIOs) are at the eye of the storm. And that's where they should be – at the center of the action. No top executive is better suited to understand the epic scope of the transformation; no other executive has the skill, experience, knowledge, and temperament required for these turbulent times.

The C-suite rightly looks to the CIO for guidance. My advice to the CIO is simple: Be ready to lead. Your leadership is required, and it is absolutely necessary.

I've been researching this book for two years, and it's been quite an educational process. I've learned that some of what I knew is still valid and valuable. I've also learned to shed some of my older beliefs and to embrace newer ideas that resonate with greater potential. Like most of us, I am keenly aware that as the modern enterprise becomes more open and more customer-centric, the risk of cyber attacks increases. That awareness shouldn't lead us to a place of fatalistic complacency or acceptance. Yes, we must be mindful of the threats we face. But we must be steadfastly determined to provide the safeguards and strategies necessary for competing successfully in spite of the dangers.

Over the course of conducting interviews for the book, many incredibly valuable insights emerged. Here's a quick list of the main takeaways:

• The big shift is from inward-facing IT to outward-facing IT.

• CIOs must shift focus from internal customers to external customers.

• IT must shift focus from providing service to providing value.

• Everything is moving to the cloud; CIOs must assume a “cloud first” mentality.

• Innovation is more than new technology – it's also about change management, enabling new processes, and hiring the best talent.

• CIOs need to work closely with the business to create innovation that drives real value.

• CEOs expect more from their CIOs than ever before.

• CIOs must deliver on a higher set of expectations, or they will be replaced.

• CIOs must shift from a measurement mentality to a value creation mentality.

• CIOs must shift focus from historical data to real-time information.

• Today, IT is all about creating real business value.

• All business is digital. All business.

• When IT has a bad day, the business has a bad day.

• IT still matters. It matters to the top line and to the bottom line. IT matters more than ever because IT is everywhere in the business. Without IT, you're out of business.

• CIOs need to step up, raise the bar, and elevate their game to meet the challenges of the big shift.

I hope you enjoy reading this book and find it a useful addition to your library. It's the fourth book I've authored on the topic of IT leadership, and it reflects more than three decades of experience in the world's most fascinating industry. I'm sure you will agree that now is the best time to be an IT leader. I urge you to accept the challenge and to become a guiding force for positive change in this exciting new era of dynamic transformation.