>Hunter Muller
The Big Shift in IT Leadership
Copyright © 2015 by Hunter Muller. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Muller, Hunter, 1960 —
The big shift in IT leadership: how great CIOs leverage the power of technology for strategic business growth in the customer-centric economy / Hunter Muller.
pages cm.–(Wiley cio)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-118-86712-9 (hardback)–ISBN 978-1-119-12325-5 (ePDF)–ISBN 978-1-119-12326-2 (ePub) 1. Information technology–Management. 2. Strategic planning. I. Title.
HD30.2.M84946 2015
658.4′038–dc23
2015010260
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © iStock.com / Harvepino
For Sandra, Brice, and Chase
Foreword
Technology is disrupting business and changing the face of IT. No longer can CIOs and IT professionals operate in a silo. Today, we need to become business leaders who understand the businesses and how to use technology to help solve business problems for our external customers. Technology disruption changes the traditional IT model, but we embrace it and capitalize on the changes to improve our business results.
Leadership is key to thriving in this new environment. In past years, CIOs rarely presented to the boards of their companies. When they did, their presentations typically focused on technical matters. They worked to keep their presentations short because they knew that senior executives were not especially interested in technology. Today, when I meet with the HP board, I encounter an engaged and interested audience. Most business people today understand the value of technology, and they want to know how IT can contribute to improved business outcomes.
In many ways, the job of the CIO is harder now than it was in the past. It is no longer enough to provide technology solutions to the business. We are expected to deliver business value to the enterprise. That's a huge shift for the CIO role. Today, we are truly integrated with our businesses, and we must meet high expectations. Executive management expects us to provide solutions that will help the company launch new lines of business, enter new markets, acquire new customers, and ultimate increase revenue.
Hunter and his team at HMG Strategy are doing important work as they work to elevate the role and responsibilities of the twenty-first-century CIO. We've known each other for many years, and I know he believes in the value that CIOs bring to the modern enterprise. As CIOs we've changed, adapted, and evolved to stay current with the demands of the networked global economy. I'm confident that I speak for many CIOs when I say that we appreciate these efforts.
Acknowledgments
This is my fourth book as a Wiley author. Like my previous three books, it is primarily a work of research and journalism, with interdisciplinary knowledge gathered from multiple sources. The concepts and insights described in this book are derived primarily from the experience that I acquired over three decades as a consultant in the IT industry. But this book also represents two years of steady inquiry, involving dozens of interviews and conversations. I could not have completed this book without leveraging the collective wisdom of many expert sources and advisers. I thank them sincerely for their time, their energy, their intelligence, their guidance, and their generosity.
I am deeply grateful to Rich Adduci, Thaddeus Arroyo, Ramón Baez, Ashwin Ballal, Linda Ban, Mike Benson, Vic Bhagat, Colin Boyd, Asheem Chandna, Gavin Colman, Bob Concannon, Mike Conley, Lee Feinberg, Jay Ferro, Greg Fell, Mike Fitz, John Foley, Ursuline Foley, Steve Gold, Roger Gurnani, Doug Harr, Patty Hatter, Shawn Henry, Jeanette Horan, Bask Iyer, Sheila Jordan, Mike Kail, Bruce Leidal, Tony Leng, Ralph Loura, Robert Lux, Sandra Kurtzig, Andi Mann, Mike Marcotte, Israel Martinez, Gerri Martin-Flickinger, Tim McCabe, Chris McGugan, Eric McNulty, Chris Miller, Giles Orringe, Steve Phillips, Ken Piddington, Mark Polansky, Steve Randich, Greg Roberts, Bill Ruh, Tony Scott, Kevin Sealy, Naresh Shankar, Frank Slootman, Dave Smoley, Tim Stanley, Patrick Steele, Kim Stevenson, Cynthia Stoddard, Clif Triplett, Dee Waddell, and David Wright.
While researching and writing this book, I received invaluable assistance and ongoing support from my colleagues at HMG Strategy: Hillary Blair, Cathy Fell, Melissa Marr, and Kristina Perkovic.
I also extend my sincere thanks to Sheck Cho and Stacey Rivera, my editors at John Wiley & Sons, who had faith in the value of the project and were patient when I missed my deadlines.
I owe a special debt of gratitude
