Dec 15, 2019 5:37 PM
Replying to George Freeman
...
Sreepathi,
I appreciate your question, especially the portion to “… managing cutting edge IT projects.” To baseline my response, I’m going to assume that the leader has what I call “Architectural Awareness” of the IT and targeted domains of the project. Note that this does not portray that the individual is an expert in those domains, but that they can navigate (i.e., Understand, Interpret and Communicate) within them.
On cutting edge projects, the leader must be
committed to the vision of the project and not simply focused on meeting the objectives, which tend to sway in their interpretation as roadblocks on the functional, technical and political spectrum are inevitably encountered. They
can not fear mistakes or failures made by others or by themselves, and when mistakes or failures are made, there should be no concern to overtly admitting them.
Risks should be weighed as opportunities and where appropriate sought after (i.e., Product and Technology Risk / Opportunity Risk).
Strategic and empathetic thought, that is, a challenge-based mindset must be their foundation coupled with a
strong desire and a willingness to seek out advice. When the above occurs with a leader who is
willing to adapt, that is, pivot, then successes’ door is within reach.
The above list (in my opinion) is a baseline for the cutting/bleeding edge, with additional qualities being added based on the specialty domain (e.g., ERP, ML/AI, etc.) of the project. Again, great question!
