Moving up The Influence Curve

10 Jul

In Session 2 of the Journey from IT Manager to CIO, Brian Donovan presented the results of the Big Kahuna Survey.   The rate of change of technology is so rapid and the impact to business so significant that IT leadership is more than ever a fundamental requirement.   The survey showed that CEOs are not entirely satisfied with the current level of support and leadership for their business from the Technology experts.  Brian talked about what's required to gain that influence and finally what it takes to own your own career.

Brian Donovan

 

 

Big Kahuna Leadership Survey

The big Kahuna Survey handouts  click here

 

During the Seminar Brian presented some of the key findings from the Big Kahuna Survey and invited the audience to share their views on the questions posed in the survey.

The fundamental premise of the survey is that the world is riding a huge wave of technology growth that will be immensely disruptive.

The chart Digital Disruption in the attached survey shows which industries will be affected and to what extent in the next 5 years by the rapid development of new technologies.  It is sobering to see that many of the jobs that we hold are unlikely to exist if these predictions come to pass.

Brian argues that the role of the Technology leaders is changing and must be closely linked to the business and the use of the technology to enhance the business.

The ability of the IT leaders to influence is vitally important if they are to remain relevant.

Brian highlighted the survey responses to the first question on the impact of technology as being around mass consumerisation of IT including the ever shorter adoption time of new mobile products like the ipad.

The group added that according to their experience the work environment had also changed markedly. 

Examples include:
•    Work seemed to be moving to a continuous 24/7mode
•    Expanding competition – possible to do more with less people
•    Expectation that software and content are free
•    Blurriness between work and personal life – can work at different times from different locations
•    Speed and rate of change is sometimes overwhelming
•    Increased access to the world through social media to have a voice then harvest data to make decisions and drive value is at everyone’s fingertips.  There are tools and platforms available at no cost and we’re seeing an increase of willing , smart and creative people prepared to invest their time and try different things rather than follow rule of the previous generation
•    Google provides us with so much information and now seems part of our everyday lives

 

Technology Leadership is about changing the game.  There is an opportunity to use the influence that technology leaders have for strategic advantage.  The research indicates that business leaders are looking for that.  There’s an expectation from business leaders that this will happen. Interestingly more that 50% of CEO are not seeing this from their CIOs as shown by the responses to the second question on leadership capability

The leaders felt that adaption is very important to company survival. Google for example chooses leaders based on their ability to give away power.  Leadership doesn’t mean I make all the decisions.

In response to the third question on how technology leaders could better develop to meet the challenges attaining broad knowledge and continual learning were dominate responses.

However, it was suggested that it all comes down to influencing skills. 

How do we as leaders develop our ability to influence?

Brian pointed out 5 observable influencing stages in leadership referring to as the Influence Curve.  

Early in your career, you’re more likely to be a subject matter expert then you’re made leader in that area where it becomes all about influence.

Position Stage
How do you use the strengths you have to move to the next level?
IT people are very good problem solvers.  At the next level the problems involve people not technical issues. 

Permission Stage
As you move up the curve your ability to cause results increases.

Performance Stage 
Focus is on commitment.  The commitments you make, not knowing how you’re going to keep them, and being able to elicit commitments from others.

Inspiration Stage
Making the future present so that others understand what they have to do today to achieve a future goal.  As a leader you can do that if you have a presence.

Service Stage
Giving power away.

You go up and down the curve throughout your career and depending on the environment you could be in two different stages of the curve.  Your real influence depends on how others perceive you.  You need to discover this by asking others about your strengths.

Finally there was some discussion on career management and how we should look at our career development.  We are in control and we should be looking to be proactive.

In developing our careers we should ask ourselves the following questions:

1.    What do I want? – the ingredients, details
2.    What do I offer? – what’s my value
3.    What’s the market want? – talk to people to find out

Only approx. 20% of job vacancies are advertised so talking to people is very important.

Increasingly our networks are critical to our future success.