1st Edition

IT Project Management: A Geek's Guide to Leadership

By Byron A. Love Copyright 2017
    250 Pages 33 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    250 Pages
    by Auerbach Publications

    250 Pages 33 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    This book’s author, Byron Love, admits proudly to being an IT geek. However, he had found that being an IT geek was limiting his career path and his effectiveness. During a career of more than 31 years, he has made the transition from geek to geek leader. He hopes this book helps other geeks do the same.

    This book addresses leadership issues in the IT industry to help IT practitioners lead from the lowest level. Unlike other leadership books that provide a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership, this book focuses on the unique challenges that IT practitioners face.

    IT project managers may manage processes and technologies, but people must be led. The IT industry attracts people who think in logical ways—analytical types who have a propensity to place more emphasis on tasks and technology than on people. This has led to leadership challenges such as poor communication, poor relationship management, and poor stakeholder engagement. Critical IT projects and programs have failed because IT leaders neglect the people component of "people, process, and technology."

    Communications skills are key to leadership. This book features an in-depth discussion of the communications cycle and emotional intelligence, providing geek leaders with tools to improve their understanding of others and to help others understand them. To transform a geek into a geek leader, this book also discusses:

    • Self-leadership skills so geek leaders know how to lead others by leading themselves first
    • Followership and how to cultivate it among team members
    • How a geek leader’s ability to navigate disparate social styles leads to greater credibility and influence
    • Integrating leadership into project management processes

    The book concludes with a case study to show how to put leadership principles and practices into action and how an IT geek can transform into an effective IT geek leader.

    Initiation
    Selecting a Geek Leader
    The Geek Leadership Challenge
    Overview of This Book

    Why Geek Leadership Is Different
    What Is a Leader?
    Great Geek Leadership
    Transformational Leadership
    IT Geeks Are Different
    We Need IT Geeks to Lead IT Geeks

    Emotionally Intelligent Communications
    The Importance of Effective Communication
    Missed Signals
    Basic Brain Operations
    The Rational-Emotive Behavior Model
    The Communications Cycle and the REB Model
    The Communications Cycle and Self-Images
    The Talk Continuum
    Analysis of the Missed Signals Use Case
    Ground Truth
    Keys to Emotionally Intelligent Communications for IT Geeks
    Conclusion: Communicating in a Complex Environment

    Self-Leadership
    Things Are Changing
    Self-Talk
    The Self-Leadership Cycle

    Followership
    What Is a Follower?
    Use Case: Everything is Spinning
    Effective Followership
    The Leader and the Effective Followers
    The Leader, the Followers, and Conflict
    Building Great Groups
    Reverse Micromanagement
    Conclusion

    Personal Credibility
    The Incredible Craig
    Social Styles for Personal Credibility
    Analysis of "The Incredible Craig"
    Mindful Credibility

    Project Leadership Integration
    CompTIA Project+ Project Domains
    Leadership Integration
    Conclusion
    Leadership Integration Plan Template

    Closeout
    Sidelined
    Gold Plating
    Let’s Do This Another Way
    You Are No Steve Jobs
    I Can Handle the Truth
    A Not-So-Simple Requirement
    Creating the Leadership Standard
    Creating a Schedule
    Are You Practicing What You Preach?
    Anxious and Uncomfortable, but Not Alone
    Leadership in Action
    A Leadership Opportunity
    Stay Out of the Way
    The Final Deliverable

    References

    Further Reading

    Index

    Biography

    Byron A. Love has more than 31 years of experience in information technology, working in positions ranging from systems administrator, to applications and database developer, to project and program manager. He retired from the U. S. Air Force Reserves as a Communications and Information Systems Officer after 21 years of service. Mr. Love holds an MBA from Averett University, a BA in Computer Science from Thomas Edison State College. He holds Program Management Professional (PgMP®), Project Management Professional (PMP®), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®), CompTIA Project+, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation certificates. He is employed as the Senior Director of IT Programs for Intrepid Solutions and Services, Inc. and serves as chairman of the Unity Economic Development Corporation You can read Mr. Love’s blog at www.ITProjectLeadership.com.