CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7 - 54

54

If there were a recipe for a successful

troubleshoot problems in various

career as an IT leader, the most

areas of the business. I learned about

important ingredient would be

process improvement and business

initiative. When I give advice to

transformation. I would analyze the

potential IT leaders, I tell them

way things were done and come up

they have to take control of their

with a plan to optimize and automate

professional destiny. Unfortunately,

those processes. I learned success

you can't rely on a company, boss, or

was as much about people and

mentor to develop your career. You

change as it was about process. What

have to take the initiative. You have to

I realize now is that this was the

have something in your gut that says,

perfect training ground to become

"This is my goal, this is my plan, I'm

a CIO.

going for it!"
Ambition to make it to the highest

It would be years before I became
a CIO. Years filled not only with

levels is something I see missing in a

tremendous learning and growth,

lot of job candidates today. They have

but also unexpected disappointment

the experience. They have the skills.

and setbacks. But with drive - and

They have the knowledge. But they

willingness to take chances - I

don't have the drive.

achieved the somewhat ambitious

Just as importantly, you have to
take risks. You never know where
your career may take you. That path

career goal I had set for myself.

Expecting the Unexpected

rarely proceeds in a straight line.
There will invariably be a lot of zig-

I realized early on that IT was the

zagging before you get to your end

place for me. I don't know how

goal. But with a clear goal in mind-

anyone in IT could ever be bored.

and the willingness to embrace the

Technology moves so quickly and is

unknown-you may go further than

constantly changing. People who are

you ever imagined.

good at it are fueled by that speed and

I speak from experience.

pace. It's what drives us. For some

When I got my undergraduate

people, change is difficult. But those

degree in chemistry at the University

of us in IT love it. And things are

of North Carolina at Chapel

accelerating even faster now.

Hill, I was planning to become a

While I was working at the

pharmacist. I'd been working part

publishing company, mini computers

time at a small publishing house to

arrived on the scene. I was learning

help pay for school. I wasn't terribly

about technology, how to apply it

thrilled about working in a lab after

to the business, and getting my

graduation and I was eager to stay

MBA at night. I thought there was

in my home state. So I kept working

great potential to use technology to

for that publishing company after

optimize and automate the various

I got my degree. The director let

business functions in the company,

me work in every department,

and that's how I stumbled into IT in a

giving me six-month stints to

way I never could have anticipated. I

It would be years
before I became a
CIO. Years filled not
only with tremendous
learning and growth,
but also unexpected
disappointment
and setbacks. But
with drive - and
willingness to take
chances - I achieved
my goal.
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7
