As a technology executive, part of your job to taking the lead in implementing tech advancements that can help your business grow. In today’s modern business world, it is not enough to rest on your laurels and wait for new developments to fall into your lap.
Smart leaders know that they don't know everything, especially when they're first starting out. And leading a tech team poses additional challenges: You not only need to handle the day-to-day needs of your team and department, you also need to be aware of what's changing in the technology world, as well as how those changes can help your organization develop.
So what should tech leaders keep in mind as they seek to improve their skills? To help, 10 members of Forbes Technology Council share the most important thing that IT executives need to be doing differently to achieve success on their job. Here's what they suggest you do:
1. Have A Growth Mindset
Adopting a growth mindset and developing an appetite for continuous learning — and ensuring that your teams do the same — is essential. For organizations to really benefit from digitization, I further believe that IT has an important responsibility to export some of their knowledge out to the business and build a digital-first culture. - Jessica Nordlander, STS Student Travel Schools
2. Align Teams To Company Goals
Technology executives, or any executive for that matter, need to empower technical teams so that everyone is aligned with the company goal. An executive who signals to the team that they know all the answers and only delegates tasks risks losing the team’s trust and support. - Sebastian Souyris, RSG Media
3. Identify Value Behind The Hype
With every emerging technology, there comes a cacophony of hype, as industries seek to capitalize on the "next big thing." There's a temptation to ignore the hype, and be dismissive, especially as we get more jaded over the years. Resist that, and rather identify the true value by understanding why adopters find it so compelling, but with a healthy dose of skepticism on assumptions and limitations - Boris Chen, tCell.io, Inc.
4. Empower People To Facilitate Innovation
Empower people within your organizations to adopt an innovation-driven mindset, by not only providing them with access to the latest of cloud and SaaS technology, but also actively supporting a cultural shift to rapidly respond to their customer demands. - Prashanth Chandrasekar, Rackspace
5. Become 'Boardroom Ready'
Technology executives who wish to be successful in today's environment must focus on becoming "boardroom ready" with language and perspective. This includes understanding how to execute company strategy from a shareholder value perspective and articulating initiatives in the context of risk, governance, strategy and innovation. - Israel Martinez, Axon Global©
6. See Your Product Like Customers Do
Having a clear understanding of the value of the product as perceived by customers is crucial for technology executives. It allows you to benchmark the product against competition, as well as customer expectations. Every product roadmap should be based on that information, in order to ensure success from a product standing point. - Narjes Boufaden, Keatext Inc.
7. Don’t Be A Slave To Your Own Dogma
Demonstrate value as fast as absolutely possible. Stay agile in your approach where small iterative efforts can be tested and tuned. Keep what works, and do not become a slave to your own dogma. - Nathaniel Gates, Alegion Inc.
8. Immerse Yourself In Every Facet Of Your Business
Technology executives need to ensure that IT is not just aligned with the business, but rather is part of the business. To be successful at that, you must immerse yourself and your team in every facet of the organization in order to gain an understanding of the big picture. Then, focus your efforts on innovating and adding business value where it makes sense. - Fred Brown, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment
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9. Implement Cyber And IT Hygiene Practices
Technology executives need to be focusing on strong cyber and IT hygiene. Additionally, they need to ensure that they are securing the resources necessary to implement cyber and IT hygiene practices. The breaches that we are seeing across industry sectors are often not sophisticated, and stem from a lack of mature IT practices and the resources necessary to execute those practices. - Darren Death, ASRC Federal
10. Adapt To Digital Business Transformation
Technology is no longer an enabler to business. In today's digital world, technology is how business is done. Technology leaders need to understand and adapt to his changing business paradigm. The focus needs to be a multiplier in the digital business transformation. We need to unlearn, learn and collaborate in order to prepare for today and the future. - Sameer Shelke, Aujas Information Risk Services
