Innovative Strategic IT Leadership

Introduction:

The Creative Strategic IT Leadership course is designed to help IT leaders and professionals unleash their creative ideas in innovative ways. The course begins with self-discovery and personal development, before introducing strategic skills applicable within an organization, and integrating creative strategy development into leadership practices.

Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Formulate a personal leadership brand.
• Adopt new methods for exercising creative leadership.
• Describe a vision using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels.
• Present material in an innovative, engaging format.
• Outline essential attributes of an IT function aligned with organizational strategy.
• Implement techniques for measuring value and performance.
• Design strategies for attracting and retaining employees.
• Analyze and justify technology solutions, vendors, and outsourcing options.

Training Methodology:

• Case studies
• Group discussions
• Leadership role-playing games
• Creative strategy workshops
• Targeted problem-solving
• Peer evaluations
• Communication role-play
• Assessments

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Creative Problem-Solving

• Leadership reality check
• Leadership vs. management
• Brain functioning
• Creative myths
• Edges of rationality
• New perspectives on problem solving
• Setting aside rationality
• Similar thinking styles
• Collaboration and expansion

Unit 2: Pressure Enhancing Individual Obstacles to Creative Thinking

• Sigmoid curve
• Lifecycle model
• Incremental vs. disruptive change
• Self-system and self-management
• Alignment of objectives
• Individual structuring of meaning
• Attitudes towards risk
• Convergent vs. divergent thinking

Unit 3: Creating the Vision as an Active Process

• Six thinking hats
• Alternative thinking approaches
• JoHari's window
• Business planning with vision forming
• Management of team capabilities
• Organizational culture and innovation
• Integrating self and intellect
• Navigating different creative modes

Unit 4: Sharing the Created Vision in an Appropriate Way

• 7-Step Creative Process
• Communication models
• Viral visioning
• Authentic leadership and trust
• Techniques and strategies to enhance creativity
• Sharing the vision
• Influencing without direct commands
• Leadership beliefs

Unit 5: Bringing Ideas to Action: Change through Creativity

• Incentives
• Hierarchy of needs
• Overcoming organizational limitations
• Fostering a learning culture
• Motivators beyond money
• Personality tests
• Creative decision-making
• Collaborating on IT strategy
• Influencing and motivating change

Unit 6: IT Department Leadership

• Role nuances of an IT manager
• Assessing IT service value
• Articulating IT value to stakeholders
• Team leader roles in IT

Unit 7: Technology Management

• Managing current technology
• Timing for new technology adoption
• Asset control

Unit 8: Role of Influence

• Forms of influence power
• Influence strategies
• Relevant influence strategies
• Negotiation tactics
• Effective influence and performance

Unit 9: Catering for Decision Making

• Strategic decision-making
• Identifying strategic decisions
• Assessing vendor selection
• When to hire outside help

Unit 10: IT Strategic Plan and Budget Formulation

• Implementing IT missions
• Identifying target customers
• Partnership modalities
• Strategic planning
• Fund and resource allocation

Unit 11: Managing IT Quality

• Value of process management
• Definitions of quality
• Maturity models
• Process management
• International standards

Unit 12: Building the IT Management Team

• Setting targets and measuring performance
• Delegating and motivating
• Team building
• Managing administrative teams and stakeholders

Unit 13: IT Project Management

• Necessity of project management in IT leadership
• Project manager characteristics and competencies
• Fundamentals of project management

Unit 14: IT Performance Metrics

• Measurement systems
• Best Practices organization
• Applying metrics
• Managing by facts and outcomes
• Metrics in strategic planning

Unit 15: Common Pitfalls and Lessons Learned

• Integrating technical and corporate needs
• Addressing tactical and strategic issues
• Adopting and enhancing technologies
• Management styles and culture