Screwdrivers and digital leadership
From time to time I meet people who believe that they can be taken seriously as a digital leader whilst being the first person to hit the deck when there is a network issue.
Of course many CIOs have built their careers by taking a technology path so possibly see this as part of their strategic proposition.
It’s not. Screwdrivers in the breast pocket and a pencil behind the ear send a clear brand message that you are a technologist. And thus best employed in an operational support capacity.
The idea that having the complete complement of business skills plus the complete set of technical skills does not suggest Renaissance wo/man. Brand perception descends to the least strategic of the mixed brand messages you convey.
That is one reason why I don’t make a big thing about my past life as an assembler programmer. Or the pencil!
