IT executives need to find collaborative business partners. Leaders listen a lot so they can tell what motivates people to act. Career coach Susan Cramm answers readers’ questions about reaching out to business partners and effective leadership styles.Q: What is your advice when efforts to reach out to a business partner fail? One business unit head at my company is always “too busy” to meet with me.A: It sounds like you have gone above and beyond in your efforts to forge a relationship. First and foremost, make sure that his organization is satisfied with your day-to-day services. If issues exist, get them resolved. It’s impossible to create relationships if operational credibility isn’t in place. Next, focus on creating a great reputation with other, more cooperative business units. Ask those who have a relationship with this executive to praise your efforts. Try also to cultivate relationships and build credibility with his direct reports. Ask them for opportunities to get in front of their supervisor to review your joint accomplishments. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe MORE ON CIO.COM Read more reader questions and answers from Susan Cramm. Q: Don’t those who “lead from the back” run the risk of being perceived not as leaders but as followers? A: Great leaders practice the philosophy that “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” They use inquiry to understand others’ perspectives and shift into advocacy when they have the information necessary to propose the path forward.Q: Why counsel CIOs to use others to drive their agenda? Why not take an aggressive stance to position yourself as a leader within the organization?A: Let me use an analogy to answer your question. My doctor can take a more aggressive stance to influence me to take better care of myself, but I am the one who determines whether or not my behaviors change. The best way for my doctor to influence me is to understand my motivators. CIOs don’t own the “Three P’s” of value creation—the processes, P&L and people—so they must use others to drive their agenda. Of course their agenda must be shared since those owning the Three P’s determine the priority and success of the IT-enabled initiatives. The CIO can drive the IT agenda only if it serves the needs of those running the business.Susan Cramm is founder and president of Valuedance, an executive coaching firm in San Clemente, Calif. You can e-mail feedback to susan@valuedance.com. Related content feature Mastercard preps for the post-quantum cybersecurity threat A cryptographically relevant quantum computer will put everyday online transactions at risk. Mastercard is preparing for such an eventuality — today. By Poornima Apte Sep 22, 2023 6 mins CIO 100 CIO 100 CIO 100 feature 9 famous analytics and AI disasters Insights from data and machine learning algorithms can be invaluable, but mistakes can cost you reputation, revenue, or even lives. These high-profile analytics and AI blunders illustrate what can go wrong. By Thor Olavsrud Sep 22, 2023 13 mins Technology Industry Generative AI Machine Learning feature Top 15 data management platforms available today Data management platforms (DMPs) help organizations collect and manage data from a wide array of sources — and are becoming increasingly important for customer-centric sales and marketing campaigns. By Peter Wayner Sep 22, 2023 10 mins Marketing Software Data Management opinion Four questions for a casino InfoSec director By Beth Kormanik Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Media and Entertainment Industry Events Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe