What We’re Reading

JAM: Amp Your Team, Rock Your Business

By Jeff Carlisi and Dan Lipson

Businesspeople and rock stars have nothing in common, right? Wrong, say authors Jeff Carlisi and Dan Lipson. Like a business, a successful rock band is made up of visionaries and relies on devoted followers. Success is achieved when the entire group is pulling in the same direction. Carlisi, former guitarist for the band “38 Special” and Lipson examine key moments in the development of a band and demonstrate how business leaders can apply those lessons to their own companies.?Jossey Bass, 2009, $24.95The Effective CIO

By Chuck Musciano?

Have you ever wondered, as a leader, what type of animal you’d be? Chuck Musciano, CIO with Martin Marietta Materials, says that choosing the giraffe is the wisest answer (it’s the tallest animal, able to see threats at a great distance). Read this blog for Musciano’s insights on IT leadership, including thoughts on his favorite Web 2.0 technologies, advice for being a better leader and best practices for finding mentors.?Identity in the Age of Cloud Computing

By J.D. Lasica

REPORT:?Last summer, 28 industry, government, academic and public policy experts convened for the Aspen Institute’s Roundtable on Information Technology to discuss the disruptive influence of cloud computing on the economy and on individuals. Lasica provides a lucid summary of participants’ thinking about the evolution of the cloud, its implications for commerce, evolving notions of privacy and the need for regulations that safeguard individuals while ensuring security.?10-X Stimulus Projects

By Thomas Frey

Futurist Thomas Frey outlines 10 projects he says would produce a 10-fold return on investment from federal stimulus money, including the creation of a national wireless grid and digital upgrading of community libraries. Not on that list: building schools, raising teacher salaries and bailing out corporate America.?Glow?How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation, and Success

By Lynda Gratton

There’s your job, and then there’s your career. London Business School professor Lynda Gratton shares how you—even when confronted with adverse circumstances—can become indispensable to your organization and have a more robust and fulfilling career. The book offers nine actions, a checklist and tools to help measure your progress, as well as dozens of personal stories. Berrett-Koehler, 2009, $16.95The Total CIO?

By Andy Blumenthal

Andy Blumenthal, CTO at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, blogs on all things leadership, including the challenges of a being a change agent, bridging the business and IT divide and the importance of being customer-centric.?