Looking for an Edge?

As promised last month, I am introducing some variety to the blog. In addition to my usual focus on current topics in talent management and executive development, I will provide news and insights from my time in Asia and also shine more light on my collaboration with Graham Waller of Gartner, Inc.

Our book (co-written with K/F alum Karen Rubenstrunk), The CIO Edge, comes out in early November. In it, we chronicle our reasearch into the key differentiators of success for the best CIOs in business and industry. Our resounding conclusion is that while business acumen and technological savvy are important ingredients for success, the difference-maker is a strong command of seven specific interpersonal skills. Applying these skills has an exponential impact on the CIOs ability to create value and deliver results across the enterprise.

For more information, check out the Facebook page for the book:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CIO-Edge/140710635971417?ref=search&v=wall#!/pages/CIO-Edge/140710635971417?v=wall&ref=search

Also, Graham will be doing a regular blog:

http://blogs.gartner.com/graham-waller

...and I will be providing a response to his thoughts.

On that note, regardless of whether you are in the IT space or another field or functional area, ask yourself if you are getting results based primarily on your technical capabilites or your people skills. If your answer is raw capability, then consider what opportunities and outcomes you might be forgoing by leaning on your technical capabilities. Likewise, ask yourself how things might be different if you were to expand your comfort zone and add to your reperatoire of leadership skills.

Please join in the conversation with Graham and I. We look forward to the dialogue.

Paradigm Shifts - Are You Ready for the Next One?

I remember first learning about paradigm shifts many years ago in college. In fact, the topic came up in two very diverse classes - geology and psychology - in the same semester. That impressed upon me that paradigm shifts can take place in just about any discipline, industry, society, etc. The trick is in getting ahead of the curve and detecting the forces that are gathering to make the shift before the actual shift occurs. Those who do can have systems and practices in place that effectively leverage "the new reality" while everyone else either stubbornly clings to "the old model" or stumbles about in trying to get their bearings on a world that has changed for them seemingly overnight. Many of these individuals and/or firms will eventually adjust to the new paradigm, but they will forever be playing catch up to those who saw the wave coming and positioned themselves to ride it into shore.

Despite all the talk about disruptive innovations, the interconnected nature of our society and the increasing pace of work and life, it could be argued that true paradigm shifts are still a relatively rare occurance in any given area. We are not talking about fads here, but a fundamental shift to a different way of thinking, perceiving or acting.

With that as a context, some recent research we are undertaking suggests that we are on the verge of a paradigm shift in the prevailing model of leadership in Asia. This has implications for companies that are local to the region as well as companies from outside Asia that are looking to the region as a source of significant expansion and growth. I won't say much more right now, but I will definitely have more to say as the months go by.

In the meantime, think about your profession, your industry, your region, etc. and consider what might be some of the gathering forces that may have minimal impact now but will surely be felt in the years to come. How can you position yourself and your organization to actually capitalize on these emerging shifts?

On a closing note, welcome to the new followers that have come on in recent weeks (invite your friends!) and thank you for the comments. I am eager to make this a very dialogue-driven blog, so keep them coming.

New Directions

Now that I've relocated to a new part of the world it is time to introduce a few changes to the blog. I still plan to continue to post my thoughts and observations on matters related to leadership and talent management. In addition, I will also broaden my focus to two new areas:

* Reflections on leadership that take into account the Asian context and perspective. I hope to soak up much new insight and learning relevant to this topic while based in the region.

* A point of view on leadership as it relates to CIOs. For the last year and a half, I have been working with a group of co-authors on a book that captures the critical leadership skills for success as a CIO. The book will come out this Fall and I look forward to sharing some related observations here. Here's a hint - the best CIOs are not necessarily those with the greatest technology savvy or even business acumen. There is a separate set of skills that differentiates them.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more.

Off to Singapore

Well, the day is drawing near. At the time of my next blog post, I will have officially started my new assignment in Singapore. The next few years will be spent chronicling what I hope to be many fresh and intriguing insights into talent management gained from my time in the region.

Step 6 - Consequences

You may have reached this stage with a successful outcome in terms of reaching a developmental goal, but that success may be for naught if the proper time isn’t taken to work through this stage. Before moving on, acknowledging what has (or hasn’t) been accomplished is essential. If the goal has been accomplished, make sure the desired rewards are delivered and celebrate the achievement. If efforts have fallen short, take a hard look at what didn’t go right and consider the consequences. Either way, an accounting of the process needs to take place and the appropriate outcomes delivered. This provides closure to the process and sets the stage for subsequent development efforts.

Step 5 - Blend

Now it’s time for action. You’ve got the motivation, you’ve got the plan, now you just need to execute it. Key elements here are encouragement, feedback, a willingness to tolerate mistakes, and being open to experimentation. The plan for development, no matter how well crafted, doesn’t always work to expectations. Problems need to be spotted and diagnosed early, alternatives explored, and new approaches monitored for effectiveness. This is where leveraging others is particularly helpful. To the extent that others are aware of and understand the need that is being worked on, they can act as a network to provide feedback, advice and support. While it can be difficult for the learner to be open about his or her need to develop, it often makes a difference in terms of eventual success. Others know how difficult it is to change and often the learner’s willingness to admit the need for change and the need for help in changing can rally others around him or her.

Step 4 - Build

To round out my posts before I depart for my new assignment in Singapore, I will provide an overview of the final three steps in the development process. (Steps 1-3 were highlighted earlier this year.) The next step is "Build":

Once you have a motivated learner with a clearly identified need, now you can start to address the “how” of development. This is a fairly time-tested, reliable process. Set some measurable goals, put together a detailed plan, including specific changes in thinking and/or behavior, and make sure the necessary resources are available to support the effort. There are, of course, some important things to consider. How much time can be allocated to addressing the need? How long will it take for real signs of improvement to start to appear? What factors in the work environment might distract from implementing new approaches or even reinforce current practices? Another thing to consider at this stage is that development is not always about taking a straight line to “getting better” at something. Oftentimes, more indirect and creative approaches can be used, including engaging in workarounds (for example, I’m not good at planning, so I’ll just delegate it to someone else who does it better) or substituting strengths to cover for a weakness (for example, I feel awkward in new social situations, so I will use my sense of humor to create rapport).