Leadership Skills

When you consider how the role of IT has changed in recent years, it gives you some appreciation of the different skills needed to stay on top. IT touches every aspect of the business and is a major factor in the differentiation of truly great companies.

This course starts by developing key leadership skills for senior IT professionals. We start by introducing an emotional intelligence based framework to separate the individual key skills of leadership. The skills are further developed using role play and case studies.

A key question for senior IT professionals is where to spend their time to be of most value. The short average tenure of senior IT executives is testimony to the fact that many have got it wrong. We look at the specific components that make up the role of the senior IT professional and we develop ‘time profiles’ based on priorities and obligations. We then draw on the extensive experience round the table to develop knowledge of leadership thinking.

IT executives also have a wider role to play, with a need to influence the business at large. This is one of the skills mastered by all the successful IT professionals. Our third module looks at how to extend the sphere of influence, understanding how to present technology and change concepts to senior executives. In particular we look at the role of senior IT professionals play in guiding those IT decisions made outside of IT.

The final module on the first day looks at choosing the right team, how to gain visibility and control in the organisation and how to lead the team to success. For this, we are also joined by one of the leading authorities on CIO performance who explains what makes the leading IT professionals successful.

Programme topics

• Leadership skills

• The role and obligations of the IT professional

• Board influence on IT decisions

• The best business advice you were ever given

• Sources of information for the IT professional

• Choosing the senior team

• Building IT teams and team dynamics

• Spheres of influence and raising profiles

IT management development
and consulting