The Adventures of an IT Leader, Updated Edition with a New Preface by the Authors

by Robert D. Austin, Shannon O'Donnell, Richard L. Nolan

Overview

What does it take to lead and manage your company’s tech?

Becoming an effective IT leader and manager presents a host of challenges—from anticipating emerging technologies, to managing relationships with senior executives, vendors, and employees, to communicating with the board. A good IT leader must also be a strong business leader.

This book—now thoroughly updated with a new preface by the authors and current tech details and terminology—invites you to accompany new CIO Jim Barton as he steps up to leadership at his company. You’ll get a deeper understanding of the role of IT in your own organization as you see Jim struggle through a tough first year, handling (and fumbling) all kinds of management challenges. Although fictional, the scenarios are based on the authors’ long experience working with real-life companies across industries and sectors.

The Adventures of an IT Leader is both an insightful story and an instructive guidebook. You can read it from beginning to end or treat it as a series of cases, skipping around to different chapters that address your most pressing needs. (For example, if you need to learn about crisis management and security, read chapters 10–12.) You can also test yourself and think about how to use the book’s lessons in your own company by reading the authors’ “Reflection” questions at the end of each chapter.

This book is your indispensable manual for IT management and leadership, no matter what business you’re in.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633691667
Publisher:	Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Edition description:	Updated
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Robert D. Austin is a professor of innovation and information technology at Ivey Business School.

Richard L. Nolan is the William Barclay Harding Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus at Harvard Business School and emeritus professor at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Shannon O’Donnell (now Shannon Hessel) is an assistant professor of art, leadership, and entrepreneurship and director of The Studio at Copenhagen Business School.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

Part 1 The Hero Called to Action

1 The New CIO 7

2 CIO Challenges 25

3 CIO Leadership 41

Part 2 The Road of Trials

4 The Cost of IT 57

5 The Value of IT 71

6 Project Management 89

7 The Runaway Project 107

8 IT Priorities 123

9 IT and the Board of Directors 141

Part 3 The Hero's Ordeal

10 Crisis 155

11 Damage 171

12 Communication 187

Part 4 The Hero Breaks Through

13 Emerging Technology 207

14 Vendor Partnering 219

15 Managing Talent 235

16 Standardization 253

17 Innovation 263

Part 5 Master of Two Words

18 Managing Risk 277

19 Looking Forward 282

Epilogue 297

Notes 307

Ways of Using This Book 311

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms 315

Index 317

Acknowledgments 323

About the Authors 327

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE for Adventures of an IT Leader, Updated Edition:

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Alphabet Inc.—
“Ever wonder what a CIO’s life is really like? Read this engaging ‘novel’ to understand the experience of an IT executive.”

Yazdi Bagli, Director, Global Business Services, Procter & Gamble—
“A must-read for both young and seasoned IT managers.”

“As entertaining as it is informative.” — Information Age

From the Publisher