2023 is just around the corner, and like every year, it will come with new challenges and surprises. Great leadership is a key component in a team’s ability to embrace change; therefore, it’s wise to reflect on what aspects of your leadership style are working well and what needs improvement as you head into a new year.
We asked CIOs who recently won a SoCal CIO of the Year ORBIE Award to share a top leadership lesson they learned in 2022 and how they plan to apply it to future challenges.
Read on for wisdom you can use in 2023 and beyond.
Embrace lean leadership
Frederick Donatucci, VP of IT, New-Indy Containerboard, LLC: Events like a pandemic or rapid inflation can happen anytime and disrupt our plans and priorities. This reality led me to embrace a lean leadership model of getting things done. The ability to pivot priorities, wear multiple hats, and find creative ways to grow – while being resource-limited – has been a great skill to develop, even though it is sometimes painful.
Specifically, I learned the following:
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew – Every day is not sunny; storms will come. Make sure you can handle what you commit to.
- Adjust quickly when losing resources – Don’t wait or try to rough it out. Get external help sooner than later.
- Be flexible – Make sure you and your team are flexible and aligned on the priorities. When things happen that disrupt your plans, know what to continue and what to defer.
Our team was able to step up and accomplish several important initiatives in 2022 while deprioritizing low-impact items. This did not require just me to change my perspective, but the whole team. Learning to plan for whatever may come our way – while being flexible and lean – will help us quickly address the unknown challenges of tomorrow.
Stay flexible and connected
Derek Peterson, CTO, Boingo Wireless: The past couple of years have emphasized the importance of resilience. The way to be resilient is to stay flexible and connected. Whether leading a team or guiding strategy, flexibility is crucial for teams and companies to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges. Secondly, maintaining and deepening connections with peers and partners is always the right leadership decision. In 2023, Boingo is looking forward to continued growth and innovation. We’ll do it all with a trusted team of employees and partners supporting each other for success.
[ Also read IT leadership: Lessons from the military. ]
Connect teams with learning, interest, and excitement
Ashwin Rangan, SVP Engineering & CIO, ICANN: As a leader, I am privileged to have a vantage point that - by definition - has a broader perspective. Using it, I have an obligation to lead my teams to a space wherein they deliver value.
That journey, together with the team, has to be thoughtfully plotted and infused with interest, learning, and, possibly, excitement. And yet, it has to be along pathways wherein risks have been assessed and managed, if not mitigated. Now that’s the art of leadership.
The principles above are time- and space-invariant. In that, they apply whatever the business environment may be. And they are, therefore, timeless. So I look forward to applying these principles over and over – in 2023 and beyond.
[ Leading CIOs are reimagining the nature of work while strengthening organizational resilience. Learn 4 key digital transformation leadership priorities in a new report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. ]
