Leadership Lessons

Friday, August 05, 2005

It's interesting to note that several people who completed our ITD survey indicated Leadership as one of the skills they would like to improve.

One of the best books I've read on the subject is "Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior" by Richard Marcinko. The author, ex-navy seal commando, gives his recipe for leadership and success in business. I highly recommend this book for those who want to know what it really takes to become a leader.

In today’s competitive business environment, more and more employers are looking for IT professionals who possess not just technical expertise, but also leadership and management skills. Many companies operate globally deploying cross-functional teams of business users, subject matter experts, and IT people, who collaborate from all over the world via extranets and other means of communication. To fit in and succeed in these new challenging roles, you need more than just your usual IT toolkit.

Just imagine you have landed a three months contract that potentially could spell into a long gig. The project is underway already picking up speed like a runaway train, the deadlines are tight, and you have to take over and manage a substantial piece of the project plan. How much time do you think you have to prove that you can do the job? Three months?

How about three weeks, maximum four! Your employer needs the results, and needs them fast. That’s where your leadership skills are invaluable. Your knowledge and experience will help you assess the situation beyond the project mission - business environment, culture, players, stakeholders, and develop right action plan. Then you must establish yourself as a key member of the team by demonstrating initiative, taking on responsibility for project/business objectives, and forging solid working relationships with fellow co-workers.

This means taking a leadership position, being proactive, and, quite often, showing others what needs to be done and how to achieve desired results.

One of the definitions of leadership that I particularly like goes like this:

"Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humanness, courage, and sternness." [Sun Tzu "The art Of War"]

What is your understanding of leadership? We would love to hear from you.

Best wishes, Lev

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