What it Means to be an IT Leader

What it Means to be an IT Leader

What does it mean to be an IT Leader?

Does it mean you manage a large team? That you make the big decisions? That you are responsible for the budget?

Not at all. Those are things you may DO as a leader, but they do not DEMONSTRATE that you are a leader. Whether you are in a formal management position, or not, you can choose to be an IT Leader. 

You don’t have to be a CIO, VP, Director, or Manager to be a leader. Those are just titles.

All you have to do to be a leader, is act like a leader. You will be rewarded to the level that you accept and demonstrate leadership capabilities in your IT career. The titles come to people who show, through their actions, that they are leaders.

No matter where you are at in your IT career, you have the ability to be a leader.

• The Helpdesk Technician who goes the extra mile to make sure that a ticket is 100% completed is a leader.
• The Junior Developer who cares about learning and asking great questions is a leader.
• The Sysadmin who stays late to resolve the network outage is a leader.
• The Senior Data Analyst who mentors a junior member of the team is a leader.
• The CISO who remains calm while their organization is actively under attack is a leader.
• The CIO who cares about his team and their development is a leader.

There are many ways to demonstrate leadership capabilities as an IT Professional. Here are just a few:

• Serve – The best leaders are servants. They put the needs of others before their own. Make it your mission to serve others. See your work as service work that benefits other people.
• Be Proactive – Leaders don’t wait to be told when they can start. They take initiative. They don’t procrastinate. They gather the minimum amount of information needed, and they go!
• Do Great Work – Leaders care about the quality of their work. If it is worth your time, it is worth your best effort. Go all in and produce great work.
• Have a Good Attitude – Leaders inspire others with their positive outlook. They lift others up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.
• Take on Challenging Projects – Leaders don’t shrink from challenges. Whenever you have the opportunity, throw your hat in the ring for challenging projects.

Leadership opportunities exist across the spectrum of IT positions. Your job, as an IT Professional is to seek out these opportunities. To demonstrate your desire to be a leader. You may have zero desire to be in formal management, but you can still be a leader.

And trust me, you WILL be rewarded for being a leader. You will be rewarded with opportunities, promotions, interesting work, great relationships … and raises. 

But most importantly, you will be rewarded with a satisfying career. An IT career that feels more like a mission than a job.

What could be more rewarding than that?