Author: kenneththomasjr

  • Celebrating the Launch of “Tech Leader’s Weekly Affirmation Journal”

    Welcome to the exciting world of Technology Leadership!

    Tech Leader’s Weekly Affirmation Journal

    I’m thrilled to share with you the launch of my first book, “Tech Leader’s Weekly Affirmation Journal,” a unique resource designed specifically for leaders in the technology industry.

    The Journey to Writing the Affirmation Journal

    My journey towards creating this journal was one filled with passion and a deep understanding of the nuances of technology leadership. The idea stemmed from a desire to provide a tool that empowers tech leaders to reflect, grow, and excel in their dynamic roles.

    What the Journal Offers

    The “Tech Leader’s Weekly Affirmation Journal” is more than just a collection of affirmations. It’s a carefully curated guide that combines inspiration with practicality. Each affirmation is tailored to resonate with the challenges and achievements experienced by those in technology leadership positions. It encourages reflection and action, enabling leaders to navigate the complex world of technology with confidence and insight.

    The Importance of Affirmation in Technology Leadership

    Affirmation plays a crucial role in shaping mindsets and approaches, especially in fields as dynamic and fast-paced as technology. This journal provides a weekly dose of motivation and perspective, helping leaders to remain grounded and focused on their goals.

    The Launch Event

    The book launch was a celebration of not just a publication but of the spirit of technology leadership. Attendees included industry professionals, aspiring leaders, and enthusiasts who share a common passion for the transformative power of technology.

    Get Your Copy

    “Tech Leader’s Weekly Affirmation Journal” is now available on Amazon. It’s a must-have for anyone invested in the field of technology leadership, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out. Share your experiences and insights with the journal using the hashtag #TechLeadership.

    As we embrace the ever-evolving landscape of technology, tools like this journal become essential. They not only guide us but also remind us of the power of positive thinking and strategic action in technology leadership.

    Learn more about Kenneth Thomas

    Join the community of tech leaders who are making a difference. Subscribe to our mailing list.


  • Surviving the Technology Leadership Minefield: 5 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

    Hey there, tech enthusiasts and future leaders! Technology leadership in the tech world is a unique beast – rife with opportunities but also laden with pitfalls.

    Whether you’re the head honcho of an IT department or someone who aspires to be in technology leadership, I’m here to give you the lowdown on some common traps and how to dodge them. Yup, even seasoned leaders like myself have had our share of oops moments in the realm of technology leadership. So let’s dive in!

    Mistake 1: Neglecting Soft Skills

    The Problem

    Tech prowess alone won’t make you a great technology leader. I’ve seen too many talented techies crumble under technology leadership roles because they never thought they’d need to be “people persons.”

    Personal Anecdote

    Early in my career in technology leadership, I led a project that was technically flawless but tanked because of poor communication with non-tech stakeholders. They felt left out and became disengaged, and the project suffered. It was a tough but necessary lesson in the importance of soft skills within technology leadership.

    The Solution

    Don’t ignore those soft skills crucial for technology leadership. People make the tech world go round, not just algorithms and code. Look into leadership training programs specifically designed for those in technology leadership, organize team-building activities, and perhaps find a mentor who shines in soft skills.

    Mistake 2: Failing to Align IT Strategy with Business Objectives

    The Problem

    Tech is not an island in the realm of technology leadership. It’s part of a larger ecosystem within your organization, and failure to align IT strategy with business objectives can lead to disastrous outcomes for technology leaders.

    Personal Anecdote

    I once spearheaded an initiative to migrate to a new, high-tech content management system. We pulled it off but later realized it was far too complicated for our marketing and sales teams to use effectively. This oversight cost us both time and resources, teaching us a valuable lesson about the importance of alignment in technology leadership.

    The Solution

    For technology leaders, make it a regular practice to liaise with other departments and key stakeholders. Keep an eye on KPIs that align with business goals and adjust your strategies as needed.

    Mistake 3: Resistance to Change and Innovation

    The Problem

    If there’s one constant in technology leadership, it’s change. Sticking to old ways and systems will quickly render you and your team obsolete.

    Personal Anecdote

    Early on in my technology leadership journey, I was incredibly loyal to a specific software that I knew, like the back of my hand. But when a new, more efficient tool came along, making the switch, although difficult, was essential for long-term productivity.

    The Solution

    Be the harbinger of change and innovation in technology leadership. Keep tabs on industry trends, and encourage your team to stay adaptable and open to new approaches.

    Mistake 4: Inadequate Risk Management

    The Problem

    With innovation comes risks, especially in technology leadership. Overlooking those risks can lead to catastrophic consequences, impacting not just your team but potentially the entire organization.

    Personal Anecdote

    During one project in my technology leadership role, we were so enamored with potential efficiency gains that we skipped a comprehensive risk assessment. Post-implementation, we faced system downtimes during peak hours, which had a domino effect across the organization. It was a stark reminder that risk management is a non-negotiable part of technology leadership project planning.

    The Solution

    Never underestimate the power of a solid risk management plan, particularly in technology leadership. Involve experts, use risk assessment tools, and make sure you’re prepared for all possible outcomes.

    Mistake 5: Not Investing in Team Development

    The Problem

    Talented individuals make up your team, but neglecting their development can lead to low morale, high turnover, and an overall disengaged work environment for technology leaders.

    Personal Anecdote

    I once lost an excellent team member because we didn’t provide adequate avenues for skill development and career growth in the field of technology leadership. That experience served as a wake-up call about the importance of investing in the team.

    The Solution

    Investing in your team’s development pays dividends in the long run for technology leaders. Offer regular training sessions, create clear career paths, and encourage continuous learning.

    Conclusion

    So, there it is—the good, the bad, and the ugly of technology leadership. Remember, stumbling is part of the journey in technology leadership. The key is to learn, adapt, and become a more resilient leader. Focus not just on technology but on people, align your strategies with business goals, be open to change, manage your risks, and never forget to invest in your most valuable asset—your team.

    Additional Resources

    • “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek
    • “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
    • Various online courses in Risk Management and Soft Skills specifically for technology leaders

    If you’ve slipped up in any of these areas of technology leadership, remember it’s never too late to right the ship. Take proactive steps today to avoid these pitfalls and set yourself—and your team—up for success in technology leadership. Happy leading!


  • 10 Game-Changing Skills That Define Technology Leadership in 2023!

    The tech industry is an ever-changing landscape. Just when you think you’ve mastered the latest trends, a new shift emerges, demanding your attention. This is especially true for those in technology leadership roles.

    Black Businessman

    With rapid changes come evolving responsibilities. So, what skills are essential for technology leaders in 2023? Let’s explore.

    1. Technological Proficiency

    The Importance of Staying Updated

    In technology leadership, clinging to legacy systems is like holding on to your old CD collection—nostalgic but impractical. Technology leaders must stay abreast of emerging technologies, whether blockchain, AI, or other innovative platforms.

    Striking the Balance

    Technology leaders must keep sight of the strategic vision while diving deep into technological details. It’s easy to become engrossed in tech details and lose sight of the strategic vision. A tech leader needs to strike a balance between hands-on tech skills and the big-picture strategy.

    2. Cybersecurity Awareness

    Ongoing Threats

    In technology leadership, understanding cybersecurity is more crucial than ever. Gone are the days when antivirus software sufficed. Cybersecurity is now a game of whack-a-mole, with new threats popping up daily.

    Security Culture

    Technology leaders must instill a culture of cybersecurity awareness across the organization, from the intern coding in a corner to the C-suite executives. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.

    3. Adaptability and Continuous Learning

    Navigating Fast-Paced Changes

    Change is constant, and adaptability is necessary for technology leadership. Furthermore, leaders should not just adapt to change—they should embrace it. 

    Lifelong Learning

    Technology leaders should foster a culture of continuous learning to make their teams adaptable and resilient. Encourage courses, webinars, and workshops.

    4. Data-Driven Decision Making

    Importance of Analytics

    “In God, we trust; all others bring data.” In technology leadership, being data-savvy is non-negotiable. If you’re not data-savvy, you’re playing a guessing game, and the stakes are too high for that.

    Actionable Insights

    Technology leaders use data to generate actionable insights, making gut-feeling decisions a thing of the past.

    5. Emotional Intelligence and People Management

    Building High-Performing Teams

    Emotional intelligence is a cornerstone in technology leadership for building effective teams. Understanding the emotional and professional needs of your team is crucial for success.

    People Management

    Technology leaders should tailor their management styles to suit individual team members. Everyone’s not a carbon copy of you. Adapt your management style to individual team members to bring out their best.

    6. Strategic Vision and Foresight

    Big Picture

    Keeping an eye on emerging trends is vital for technology leaders. What trends are shaping the industry? How can you align your tech strategy with broader business goals?

    Technology leadership isn’t just about dealing with the present but anticipating future trends. Having foresight can give you the first-mover advantage.

    7. Stakeholder Communication

    Conveying Complexity

    Tech jargon can be foreign to non-tech users. Influential technology leaders can translate tech jargon into simple terms for stakeholders.

    Bridging Gaps

    In technology leadership, bridging the gap between IT and other departments is critical. Technology shouldn’t be an island within a business. Leaders must bridge the gap between IT and other departments for a cohesive strategy.

    8. Ethical Responsibility and Sustainability

    Ethical Dilemmas

    With great power comes great ethical responsibility. Technology leaders face ethical dilemmas that require careful navigation. Whether it’s data privacy or AI ethics, you must navigate the moral maze responsibly.

    Sustainability

    Green tech is not a trend; it’s a necessity. In technology leadership, advocating for sustainability is not just ethical but also makes business sense.

    9. Innovation and Creativity

    Culture of Innovation

    Technology leaders should foster an environment that encourages innovation. Create an environment where your team feels safe to pitch the next big idea.

    Disrupting the Status Quo

    Sometimes innovation means breaking things. In technology leadership, being willing to disrupt the status quo can yield long-term benefits.

    10. Project Management and Delegation

    On Time, Within Budget

    A great idea is just an idea until it’s executed. Project management is crucial for technology leaders to bring ideas to life.

    The Art of Delegation

    Effective delegation is a sign of mature technology leadership. You can’t—and shouldn’t—do it all. Know when to delegate and trust your team’s expertise to get the job done.

    In Conclusion

    Being a technology leader in 2023 is more than just technical knowledge or having a fancy title. Technology leadership is about having a balanced, well-rounded skill set that adapts to rapidly changing tech landscapes. By focusing on these essential skills, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complex world of tech.

    Kenneth Thomas

  • Route to Leadership (Self-Interest vs. Selflessness)

    I recently spoke on this topic at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) — Regional Leadership Development Conference (RLDC) in Atlanta, GA. I felt that sharing my script with online readers would be beneficial.

    Introduction

    First, I would like to thank my AT&T colleagues, especially Jordan Triplett, who reached out to allow me this opportunity. I want to start by stating that I may refer to AT&T’s Technology Development Program and my leadership role throughout my story.

    I will review the definitions of leadership, self-interest (not to be confused with selfishness), and selflessness; and discuss their importance. I’ll also intertwine examples of each of these terms.

    Kenneth Thomas giving leadership presentation

    Leadership

    What is Leadership?

    Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization.

    Sadly the true meaning and importance of leadership have been lost with time. Most people associate being a good leader with making good money or being powerful, yet we constantly hear employees resigning from top multinational corporations because of poor leadership. A bad leader can break a company, but a good one will bring people together. That’s why many people would instead work for less pay but with a leader who understands and appreciates them.

    Whenever you think of great leaders, you’ll picture people like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, or SHPE’s own Dr. Chris Wilkie, but it’s not just about the people at the top. Being a leader has nothing to do with power or success. Anyone can be a leader if they understand what it means.

    You may even think leadership is just about managing a group of people because, after all, isn’t that what leaders do? Well, you’d be surprised because that’s hardly the case. So let’s discuss why it’s crucial to be a leader and how you can be one.

    Why is Leadership Important?

    A great leader isn’t just someone giving orders, bringing innovation, or creating value. Leaders help those around them to be at their best. They create an environment where people can gather and create value through collaboration. This is why people we look up to as great leaders do well in their respective industries. They work with their team to achieve success.

    Humans are social animals by nature; we thrive when we work together, but lately, people have become more focused on themselves. Individuality is being pushed as the key to success. Group dynamics are being left behind, but a leader takes those individuals and turns them into a community.

    A leader guides people to achieve their potential not only on their own but through work with others. However, our idea of leadership has been distorted. Now we think of power, high positions, and even money as measures of a good leader. But there are leaders everywhere in life, such as our parents and teachers. Their roles and their guidances are fundamental to the well-being of society. Just as they nurture and develop us as we grow into adults, a good leader must develop the people under their charge.

    If you want those you lead to remain with you for a long time, you must lead intelligently and be mindful of their needs. While our notions of leadership are distorted, people are becoming increasingly more aware of the necessity of good leadership in today’s globalized economy.

    More importantly, we have higher expectations of the people we choose to follow in leadership. A good leader can boost morale and improve the relationship between their team members. Building these relationships creates trust that creates an open and honest culture across an organization. I can also name several other benefits like inspiring confidence, improving employee engagement, and enabling innovation.

    With all of this in mind, it was satisfying walking into my role with AT&T’s Technology Development Program to learn that part of the program’s mission is to develop our talent for roles as AT&T’s future leaders through collaboration in a high-trust environment. My colleagues and I make sure we do our part as leaders to allow our participants an ideal environment to accomplish just that and more.

    Self-Interest

    What is Self-Interest?

    Not to be confused with selfishness, healthy self-interest is simply taking care of yourself but not at the expense of others. On the flip side, selfishness involves satisfying your own needs at the expense of others.

    I saw a perfect example of self-interest online, and it states:

    Imagine you’re flying a commercial jet seated between a very young child and a frail, very old adult. All of a sudden, the cabin loses pressure. The oxygen masks deploy and drop down in front of everybody. Now, who is the first person you put the oxygen mask on? The helpless child? The struggling senior? No, and no! As every flight attendant will announce during the safety briefing, we are instructed to put on our own masks first before attempting to help anyone else. Because if we don’t, we’ll pass out almost immediately. And then, not only will we have failed to help the child or the senior, but we now need help ourselves. Yet if we had first taken just a few seconds to secure our own air supply, we would have been able to attend to the people around us who might need help. Also, by taking care of ourselves first, we can often avoid the predicament of needing assistance ourselves. Thus, often only by helping ourselves first can we be in a position to offer or provide help to others.

    In this situation, this isn’t a matter of us being selfish but a matter of acting out of self-interest first to get to a point where we can benefit others. This leads me to my next point.

    Why is Self-Interest Important?

    Simple, self-interest is important because it allows you to perform your best so that you have the opportunity to turn around and enable others to perform their best, which in the end helps everyone.

    Selflessness

    What is Selflessness?

    In the eyes of leadership, selflessness is ethically leading others to achieve assigned goals and the greater good for the benefit of all others before oneself. I like to think of this as servant leadership. Servant leadership is squarely focused on the need to build and develop your team as your first priority.

    The idea is that helping others succeed in and of itself is a righteous goal. Of course, when you work hard to maximize your team’s growth, they become more successful, and so do you.

    Let’s briefly consider the major components of servant leadership. The first is a solid commitment to the growth of the people around you. This is the hallmark of servant leadership. You must have a sincere conviction to develop others because you believe people have an intrinsic value beyond their contributions as team members.

    Ultimately, that’s why you seek to support your team’s professional and personal growth. How do you do that? It all starts with your own self-interest, perfecting your strengths, minimizing your weaknesses, and sharpening your personality. All the other behaviors I’ll mention become possible from this base of self-interest.

    Components of Self-Intrest that lead to Selflessness

    You begin building self-interest when you spend time assessing and solidifying your skills and relationships, supplemented by great feedback from a coach or mentor.

    Next is using self-interest to learn how to listen. Any successful leader must be a strong communicator, which always includes strong listening skills. However, many of us err on problematically speaking far more than listening. Servant leaders know that they will maximize the outcome of any conversation by listening more than speaking. Only then can you effectively hear, see body language, and make a stronger connection.

    Next is using self-interest to learn how to empathize. Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotion in others, which then allows us to feel some amount of compassion, caring, or concern in response. Being able to empathize with someone is partially driven by your personality, but it is also recognized as a skill that can be learned. Genuine rapport only begins when they believe you’re emotionally engaged.

    The final component is learning how to facilitate healing. Even great teams experience plenty of conflicts. The difference is that great teams have the ability to heal wounds by laughing at themselves and making apologies when needed. When you model selfless behaviors, make your communication positive, and admit when you’re wrong, you can turn conflict into a positive event that actually makes the team better.

    Why is Selflessness Important?

    In the end, great leaders are selfless! They understand that the power that they have is not about them. Their power exists to ensure the benefit of the people who follow their lead.

    Conclusion

    It is evident that leading through self-interest and selflessness go hand-in-hand. You use self-interest to be selfless, which in the end is servant leadership.

    Leadership

    Starting today, I ask that you invest in your self-interests to become selfless “servant” leaders.

    Great leadership is not about the leader at all. Great leadership inspires others to work with you on a worthy cause.