Chapter 1Qualities of Courageous Leadership
Do You Have the Courage to Lead Your Team to Greatness?
Over the past 12 months, my research has focused on exploring the value of courage in leadership. At our CIO Executive Leadership Summits, we've spent hours talking about the qualities required for leading IT teams to greatness, higher levels of achievement, and superior performance.
We've come a long way since the days when we simply assumed that some people were born for leadership roles and others weren't. Yes, it still takes talent and the right temperament to become a great leader. But it also takes experience and the willingness to learn. You need an open mind and trusting heart to guide your IT team across today's landscape of unprecedented disruption and continuous innovation.
Our research points to five foundational pillars of courageous leadership:
- Innovation
- Security
- Talent
- Simplification
- Trust
Innovation is the combination of invention and economic value. It's never just about new technology; there's always a business driver. Great CIOs and IT leaders understand that successful companies are fueled by continuous innovation. In highly volatile markets that are easily disrupted, innovation is the only proven strategy for beating the competition.
Security is absolutely critical; just look at the headlines if you doubt the importance of security in the modern enterprise. In the past, security was considered a cost of doing business. Courageous IT leaders are more likely ...
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