Getting buy-in isn’t so much about the work you do but the way in which you do it.

It’s not the tyranny of the urgent that has you down; and only one practice will build you up.

Your professional growth runs into resistance. Steal best practices from other professions to make your case.

Hard markets and tight budgets don’t need to delay the spending you need now. Buy-in isn’t about the budget. It’s about the right decision. And that’s something you can lead.

It’s not enough to tell CEOs what to think. They best manage their expectations of IT through processing three critical areas.

You will run into CEOs who do not have right expectations. They will run over you if you don’t know how to manage their expectations. How do you lead CEOs who have unrealistic expectations of IT while remaining an integral team player?

You can’t do it all, at least not in the timeframe others want you to do it in. There is a better answer than citing backlog - one that educates as well as protects you and your team.

You led well in a year of the unforeseen. 2024 calls for one area of growth that must be your most intentional.

Do CIOs drive growth? No and yes. And where it is a yes, they focus on six critical areas.

CFOs are in a tough, yet strategic position. Working with them is work; and it should be. How to work with them so that they are a Go rather than a No is a three-stop journey that you lead.

We rely too often on our own credibility or research or vendor propaganda to sell our proposals. We rely too little on the best way we know that what we know is right.

You don’t need to communicate IT in a language business understands to demonstrate the value of IT. Instead, you must help LOB communicate business in a language that IT understands.

Old-school CEOs need to be re-educated by CIOs who only know how to be lifelong learners, innovators and adaptors. The key is understanding the difference between mindset and mentality, between what they view and how they see.

CIOs are qualified to become CEOs because of one outstanding quality that is supported by four demonstrable skills.

More CIOs are reporting to CEOs than ever. And it won’t matter unless CEOs know how to turn their work with CIOs into a partner relationship. But effective CEOs know how to do just that and gain a competitive advantage in doing so.

There are plenty of voices calling for more women to work in technology. But it is more of a fight than an ideology, and it requires intention and integrity, not just inspiration.

CIOs typically shoulder responsibility for technology failure. But CEOs and Boards don’t get a pass. Lack of courage and loss of vision are at the heart of the failure, and CIOs can step up beforehand to change and focus the conversation around business and customer experience, not just bottom lines.

We hear a lot about tactics when it comes to persuasion. Relatability and confidence are more effective; unfortunately, what they mean is often misunderstood.

An evening visit of familiar ghosts teaches the C-Suite a better way to filter budget decisions and cost justification.

You want to be a leader that others turn to or go with. But the competition is immense. Leaders who stand out have learned to avoid two pitfalls by focusing on one key element: They know how to be noticed, remembered and talked about.

Technology leaders don’t always get their way right away because of who gets in their way. Three practices will help you settle down and move forward constructively.

Technology leaders are in an opportune moment to move business forward from transformation into innovation. But there is one critical mistake that will prove costly. Effective technology leaders know how to lead in-between movements and avoid outpacing others.

Executive coaching is only valuable if it is not being masked as mentoring or consulting. Great coaching will always lead you through assessment, clarity, conversation and action.

CIOs and leaders commit four errors when speaking that fuel the frustration that they are not being heard and feed the belief that people are not interested in what they have to say.

Technology leaders and marketers are “seated next to each other” at the table. Both share mindsets, points of focus and communication needs. The effective technology leader will expand their professional skills to nail sales insights and strategies.

Public perception of the CEO matters, and members of the C-Suite misrepresent the CEO in subtle but daily ways.

The CFO and CIO maximize the value of their relationship when the CIO recognizes three key considerations: the common ground you share, the collaboration you need, and the communication you can have.

The CIO has an opportunity to make deep impressions in the life of their company and the lives of their people. They just need to keep three things in view: the need for more, the pace of momentum and the leverage of opportunity.

Every leader needs an advocate who serves as a champion, guide and resource for each leader’s identity, success and experience of supportive community.

We have never been in better days for the CIO to be at the table, and for the CEO to shed the burden of trying to represent the critical dynamics of technology that must influence board decisions.

Office relationships don’t need conflict resolution. It won’t work. Some say ‘cart before the horse’ but I say you need the right environment before you do the right things. Three dynamics create the environment needed for healthy office relationships, and these three alone will improve any relationship: affirmation, acceptance and advocacy.

Too many CIOs know how to win in the realm of technology but then lose in the arena of political leverage. I’ve learned 7 insights that help me come out on top. The first is to engage it, not avoid it. What follows are the rules of engagement.