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Secrets to Leading and Managing Technology Workers

By Megan Santosus

October 01, 2003 — CIO — If you want to be a better leader of your IT staff, then it’s best not to rely on that staple of leadership books, the profiles of military leaders such as Attila the Hun, George Patton or Colin Powell. IT employees don’t respond well to a leadership style based on power and control. That’s because IT work—programming, systems analysis, troubleshooting and the like—is centered on individual problem-solving that can’t be directed from above.

Since IT work is inherently creative, effective leadership of IT workers means facilitating work that is often chaotic and goals that are rife with ambiguities. The context of leading an IT organization includes aligning IT projects with business strategy, conveying direction to IT employees that’s consistent with that strategy, and keeping IT employees focused on end user needs.

Some big-picture leadership skills, such as communication, vision and negotiation, are the same whether one is a CEO or a CIO, says Paul Glen, author of the recent book Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead the People Who Deliver Technology. "At its heart, leadership is all about relationships with people," he says.

But IT leadership skills diverge into unique territory when CIOs are immersed in the day-to-day operations of an IT department. They must motivate IT workers who thrive on challenges and aren’t primarily driven by monetary carrots or perks, and who love technology but sometimes need to be pushed to apply it in ways that help others do their jobs. What’s more, many CIOs (who still tend to come up through the IT ranks) make the mistake of focusing on technology rather than employees, Glen says.

No wonder that in a recent CIO survey, underlings don’t give CIOs high marks for leadership. Of the 400 participants in our online "What Do You Think of the CIO?" survey, only about half said their CIOs foster a team environment, use praise and constructive feedback to motivate, and delegate effectively (for the complete survey, go to www.cio.com/printlinks). Here’s how to get on the right side of that divide.

Embrace Your Inner Techie

They might bristle at stereotypes, but IT employees do share certain tendencies that set them apart from workers in sales, finance and manufacturing. As creative problem-solvers, IT staffers get absorbed in whatever projects they are working on, often at the expense of relating to colleagues outside of IT. As technology aficionados, IT employees sometimes don’t have much patience with people who don’t share their enthusiasm for all things technical. And when it comes to organizational politics and Machiavellian maneuvers, most IT people couldn’t be bothered. For their part, employees outside of IT may not appreciate the nature of IT work, so CIOs need to serve as a bridge between disparate groups.

 

 

 

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