Imagine you are sitting in a meeting with the bosses, and the new technical lead is in the room. This individual could hold the title of CTO, CISO, CIO, etc., but they are the technical lead for the organization. The hiring of this person was a laborious process. Many resumes were reviewed and scrutinized to ensure the right technical skills and accreditations met the organization’s high expectations. Now imagine that all of this person’s ideas and suggestions regarding technology were ignored. When it comes to technology, this person is literally the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. To add salt to the wound, the most technologically illiterate person in the room, who happens to be the loudest, ideas are overwhelmingly valued by leadership. They suggest the dumbest things with SUCH conviction and confidence that everyone eats it up even though it’s hog-wash. Pigs indeed can fly with this person. The next thing that you think is, “What the f*ck is going on!”
Unfortunately, this happens too often. Technical leaders are treated as prop pieces unless they stamp themselves as legitimate leaders within an organization. We live in a modern society where technology has infiltrated every facet of our lives, and our technology leaders are more important than ever! Organizations that make the wrong decisions regarding technology can cost them revenue, resources and could cripple the organization. Technology leaders have to stand firm and be a strong voice of guidance. We must learn to understand the culture of the organization and become effective communicators. Also, leading is not sounding smart by confusing people with a bunch of technical jargon but simplifying the complex to something more palatable. We also must stand firm and work hard to get our point across in a professional manner.
The other side to this coin is the technical leader…really isn’t technical anymore. They have been in leadership for so long and became so busy that their technical skills have dulled, and modern technology has breezed right past them. I know it’s challenging to try to find the time, but stay technical!!! Build mini projects in your home lab…code stupid apps to keep your skills sharp. Continue to research the new trends and implement them within an isolated testbed. If you lose your technical edge, you’ll fall out of sync with modern technology and fail to inform your organization of potentially new methods and tech that can improve business processes.
It’s a neverending train when it comes to technology. You are always learning, but keep the shaw sharp and lead from the front!
