Father’s Day for the CIO

I recently spoke with Richard Boyatzis, author and chair of the department of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management, for a piece I’m writing on emotional intelligence.

He told me about an exercise he conducts in which he asks audience members to think of the person who most-influenced their lives. He says that across the board the exercise evokes compassion. I thought of that when putting together this blog.

In a State of the CIO article, Warren McFarlan, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, said, “CIOs make great grandparents because they can afford to retire. But they make lousy parents because they work 18 hours a day.” Whether or not that’s true, I can’t say (I’d love to hear what you think though) but I do know CIOs and IT execs have their work cut out for them in balancing home life and corporate life.

To that end and in honor of this Sunday, I’ve put together a special Father’s Day CIO, a collection of new and past articles I think you’ll find interesting. Some address the difficulties of work/life balance, some are for the the gadget guy in you, and some address the issue of fatherhood on a more metaphorical level, that is as provider/leader of the world at large.

But back to Boyatzis’s exercise, or at least a version of it. What father figure has influenced you most and why? Did he provide an example of leadership, strength or drive? Or something else?

Take a moment this weekend to think about that, and if you’d like, share it with the rest of us.

Happy Father’s Day!

The CIO Dad at Work, at Home

Work-Life Balance for the CIO: Your Work or Your Life

How to overcome the corporate conspiracy that keeps you chained to your job.

  Lessons from a Son, Or How I Converted to Agile

One CIO finds the answer to his work problem in an unlikely source: his son.

  Tips on Dealing With Stress From an IT Exec Who Has Been to Breakdown and Back

Many CIOs are “on” 24/7, unaware that burnout is around the corner. The consequences can be disastrous.

Building Corporate Cultures One Decency at a Time

You teach your children respect and decency. How about your employees? CIOs can help protect a corporate culture and its moral underpinning.

  Management Lessons from the Sopranos

Certainly not a Father-of-the-year award winner, Tony Soprano, however, can provide lessons in street smarts.

CIOs as Fathers of Inspiration

Bill Gates Delivers Harvard Commencement Speech, Urges Awareness of Poverty

“Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree,” Microsoft Chairman Gates said to hearty audience laughter as he began his speech.

  IT’s Role in Social Responsibility

Technology is a critical and underutilized tool for solving many of society’s ills, and CIOs are important agents of change.

30 Books That Can Change Your Life

Perhaps surprisingly, books such as Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and a book on compassion and mindfulness by Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee contain important lessons for IT execs.

  The Math/Science Imperative

CIO Publisher Gary Beach urges commitment to our future: Our children and their education.

A Few of Dad’s Tech Toys

The Business-Savvy Smartphone Review: Nokia E62, BlackBerry Pearl, T-Mobile Dash, Palm Treo 750

CIO compares four of the hottest smartphones available, from the perspective of four IT executives.

  Nine Hot Consumer Technologies You Can’t Ignore

Like it or not, these much-discussed technologies will have a significant impact on your IT department.

After Work Fun for the CIO

Golf Rules

Think you know the rules of the game? Test your skills here.

Best Golf Memories…And Courses

Tell us about your favorites!   Ben Crenshaw: Technology’s Impact on Golf

Now, thanks to technological advances in materials and design, golfers can arm themselves with balls and clubs that are changing the game fundamentally—in ways that are not necessarily good.