CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 52
It's so important to push that kind of responsibility down
and trust that your team will deliver. It frees you up to focus
on the value you bring to the organization and helps them to
develop into effective leaders themselves.
Bottom-Up Management
not make the mistakes personally,
directors to meetings. But to me, that
but they happened on his watch. He
seemed like a waste. I told A.J., "If
As I progressed throughout my
agreed that he had not done a good
we're both going to these meetings,
career, I had managers who would
job addressing the issues and that it
something isn't right. We shouldn't be
approach me and ask me my opinions
was ultimately his responsibility. He
in the same conversation unless it is
about how they were performing.
needed my help to rectify them.
my performance review or a one-on-
Initially, I thought they were
Now that I am in a position of
one." He agreed. Now, we are rarely
asking me just to be polite. But as I
leadership, I make it clear that the
in the same room unless there is a
developed trusting relationships with
people on my team can approach me
true strategy call or update that we
them, I was more comfortable telling
to discuss any topic or criticism under
need to give jointly. It's so important
them what changes they might want
the sun. That doesn't guarantee that
to push the responsibility to the right
to consider.
I will agree with them. I am very
level and trust that the team will
comfortable with disagreement, and I
deliver. This frees the leader to focus
CTO that he should stop swearing. I
want them to be, as well. But I want to
on the unique value that you as a
explained that some people swear at
be able to have those uncomfortable
leader bring to the organization and
work to send the signal that they're
conversations without them having
helps others to develop into effective
the boss. "But you're already the
any fear of collateral damage, even if
leaders, too.
boss," I told him. "Why do you need
it's just to vent about something that's
to swear?" He looked at me and
bothering them.
I felt comfortable enough to tell one
said, "Nobody ever told me that." I
explained to him that some on my
Letting Go of the Reins
It was the desire to share lessons
like these that initially led me to
accept an offer from a colleague to
come and do a couple of sessions on
leadership with his team. Since then,
team had expressed concern about
his language. From that point on,
I've been directly reporting to my
I've done internal workshops - a
he was much more careful with his
current CIO, Andrew (A.J.) Lang,
day, half a day, sometimes multiple
words. And although it's been a
for more than seven years. He's been
meetings of several hours spread over
while since we've worked together,
a huge influence and has actually
a number of weeks - with groups
whenever I see him he'll tell me,
helped to mellow me out a bit. One
of, say, a half-dozen people. I've
"Prakash, I'm not swearing."
of the biggest leadership lessons I've
done this outside my organization,
I told a director with whom I
learned is one we arrived at together.
too, with vendors or partner
worked that I found myself having
Several years ago, I found that he
organizations. Sometimes I do one-
to fix a lot of messes that, while
and I were attending a lot of the same
on-one coaching. I've had contact
they went back a few years, were
meetings. Indeed, I saw several of
with more than 100 people through
ultimately his responsibility. He did
my peers bring their managers and
these sessions.
CIO Straight Talk | 52
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6
Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover1
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 4
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 5
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 6
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 7
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 8
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 9
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 10
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 11
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 12
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 13
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 14
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 15
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 16
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 17
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 18
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 19
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 20
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 21
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 22
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 23
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 24
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 25
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 26
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 27
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 28
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 29
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 30
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 31
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 32
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 33
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 34
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 35
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 36
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 37
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 38
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 39
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 40
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 41
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 42
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 43
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 44
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 45
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 46
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 47
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 48
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 49
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 50
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 51
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 52
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 53
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 54
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 55
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 56
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 57
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 58
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 59
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 60
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 61
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 62
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 63
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 64
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 65
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 66
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - InsertA
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 67
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - InsertB
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 68
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 69
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 70
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 71
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 72
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 73
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 74
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover4
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