Soctim publishes IT leadership guides

business leadership

Public sector IT management body Socitm will this week launch two guides aimed at public sector leaders.

The two publications will define what it believes makes a successful leader as well as how to ensure that success continues against the backdrop of public sector reforms. They will be launched at Soctim's annual conference, which is being held in Birmingham from 29 November to 1 December.

Planting the Flag will be the first in a series of leadership-focused pocket guides. Subsequent editions will explore other management hot spots such as governance, shared services and organisational change.

In addition, Soctim will published a companion guide called A.. B... CIO: a personal view of leadership. It looks at the duty the CIO has to turn new technology into business advantage and has been written by former Soctim president and current Hampshire County Council CIO Jos Creese.

Creese explains that the best CIOs know the business priorities of their organisation and tries to help shape them. The CIOs also successfully manage transformational change programmes enabled by IT.

"This A, B, C' guide is based on my personal experience and views. It promotes eight principal areas for the CIO to concentrate on and a baker's dozen' of leadership tips," Creese added.

"But my first tip is to take any advice, including mine, with a pinch of salt'; make up your own mind and use your own instincts, since every organisation is different. That's part of being a good CIO."

Both items will be downloadable from the Socitm website on 5 December 2011.