Straight to the Top 2e

ISBN-13: 9781118390030 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 224 str.

Gregory S Smith

Opis

Essential reading for IT professionals with aspirations toward the top IT spot, and for sitting CIOs looking to refine their mobile, social and cloud strategies and knowledge The definitive work on how to achieve leadership success in IT, Straight to the Top, Second Edition reveals how the role of the CIO is changing due to major trends associated with consumer and enterprise products and technologies driving new mobile solutions in today's organizations; cloud computing and the move away from controlled / internally managed data centers to pay as you use and elastic cloud infrastructure and application services; and the impact social media is having on today's complex organizations. Author Gregory S. Smith expertly coaches existing and aspiring CIOs on building the requisite skills through his observations and experience as a veteran CIO with more than twenty-five years of experience leading IT teams and delivering complex technical solutions in the information technology field.

• An invaluable guide to help information technology and business professionals recognize the qualities, skills, and expertise necessary to attain the role of a CIO or enhance the skills for sitting CIOs
• Equips IT managers, CIOs, and CTOs to strategically plan their career moves
• Packed with encouragement, advice, and essential skills for aspiring and sitting CIOs
• Features interviews with leading IT professionals, CIOs, and executive recruiting professionals

Providing an organized and comprehensive view of the CIO job and its important role in modern organizations, Straight to the Top, Second Edition equips sitting CIOs and CIO candidates with the strategies and knowledge necessary to be successful in the new business normal - a mobile, social and cloud-based world, and how to provide technology leadership as a world-class CIO.

Spis treści

Preface xi

Ac knowledgments xv

Part one Key Change Drivers and Trends Impacting the CIO Role Today 1

Chapter 1 Why the Role of the CIO Continues to Change 3

The State of the CIO 6

How Important Are Core Technology Skills? 9

What Did I Do to Prepare? 17

Recommendations 19

Notes 20

Chapter 2 Technologies and Trends Driving Today s IT Innovation 21

Follow the Money 21

The Major Technology Trends Driving Change 25

Predictions for the Future 33

What Did I Do to Prepare? 34

Recommendations 35

Notes 37

Chapter 3 IT Standards and Governance and the Impact of Consumer Devices 39

IT Governance and Its Benefits 39

How IT Trends Affect IT Governance 41

Portfolio Management of IT 51

The IT Strategic Plan 54

What Did I Do to Prepare? 56

Recommendations 58

Notes 60

Chapter 4 Service Level Agreements: A Key to Improved Customer Expectations and Better Contracts 61

Service in the Age of the Customer 61

Service Level Agreements 66

Annual Staff and Customer Surveys 73

Vendor Scorecarding 76

What Did I Do to Prepare? 81

Recommendations 82

Notes 83

Chapter 5 Today s CIO: The Teacher to the C–Suite 85

Gaps in Expectations between CIOs and CEOs and other C–Level Executives 86

Educating the C–Suite 87

Creating a High–Performing IT Team through Education 88

What Did I Do to Prepare? 97

Recommendations 99

Notes 100

Part two The Modern–Day CIO101

Chapter 6 What Executive Recruiters Are Looking for, from Consulting Experience to Leadership Skills 103

How to Get Noticed 103

Leading Generation Y and Mentoring 106

Tomorrow s Leadership Skills 120

What Did I Do to Prepare? 121

Recommendations 122

Notes 123

Chapter 7 Cloud Computing Strategies and Risks 125

A Cloud Computing Overview 125

Growth Trends and Costs 135

The Security and Risks of Cloud Computing 140

Integrating with the Cloud 145

What Did I Do to Prepare? 150

Recommendations 150

Notes 152

Chapter 8 The Consumerization of IT 155

Consumer Devices Permeate the Corporate World 155

Growth Trends for Mobile Computing 160

Increasing Costs and Security 163

Mobile Device Management 164

What Did I Do to Prepare? 168

Recommendations 169

Notes 170

Chapter 9 Social Media Changes Everything 173

Social Media Categories 173

Social Media Titans 175

Social Media Are the World s Reporters 177

Businesses Using Social Media 179

The Risks of Social Media 182

Facebook Fatigue? 184

What s Next in Social Media 185

What Did I Do to Prepare? 189

Recommendations 189

Notes 191

Chapter 10 What s after the CIO Role? 193

Career Next Steps 193

What Did I Do to Prepare? 198

Recommendations 198

Conclusion 199

Notes 200

About the Author 201

Index 203

O autorze

GREGORY S. SMITH currently serves as a CIO for an organization in the Washington, DC, area. He previously served for nine years as the vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Washington, DC. Mr. Smith is the author of How to Protect Your Children on the Internet: A Road Map for Parents and Teachers and Straight to the Top: Becoming a World–Class CIO. He has published many articles over his career, including "Talking at the Top of the World" in CIO magazine, along with a variety of technology and business topics in Forbes, eWeek, and Computerworld. Mr. Smith received a BS in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MS in business from The Johns Hopkins University, where he also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Carey Business School graduate programs. He can be contacted through his website: http://www.gregoryssmith.com.

Blurb

Praise for the second edition of Straight to the Top

"There was a time when getting to the CIO seat took a lot of hard work, a little bit of career risk, the ability to connect with people around you, surrounding yourself with the most talented people who are passionate about the same things you are, the ability to deliver the solutions that matter, and the grace of God. Gregory has added another tool and a fresh perspective on the role of the CIO. The climb to CIO is still not easy, but there is good practical advice and guidance for those making the climb and those who want to stay there."
Ed Anderson, Global CIO, World Vision International

"Whether you aspire to be a CIO, are already a CIO, or possibly another type of business leader who just wants to leverage the power of information to give your company a competitive advantage, this is a great read. Gregory′s insights will help keep your innovative juices flowing."
Earl Monsour, Director, Strategic Information Technologies, Maricopa Community College District

"The CIO role is one of the most challenging executive positions, and it is only getting tougher. With data moving closer to the revenue stream of nearly every industry, CIOs are responsible for innovation, operations, cost containment, security, and product development a heady brew! In the second edition to his excellent book, Gregory Smith addresses the evolution of the CIO role and, in an engaging writing style, provides guidance to IT leaders who aspire to CIO greatness."
Martha Heller, President, Heller Search Associates, LLC; author of The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership

"Straight to the Top is a visionary′s look at what aspiring and current CIOs must do to succeed in the new mobile, social, and cloud–based world. Smith′s book is not just for future and current IT leaders, but a must–read for all CEOs before they hire their next CIO."
Anne C. Topp, Vice President and CIO, World Wildlife Fund

"This book offers a rare combination of advice to both CIOs and aspiring CIOs alike, advice on how to develop and hone their skills as well as how to deal with some of the thornier issues afflicting IT organizations today. [Smith′s] advice is sound, straightforward, practical, and based on his personal experience and successful tenure as a CIO at leading organizations."
Josh Jewett, CIO, Family Dollar, Inc.