Business and Information Technology

This document is authorized for use only by Lawrence Awuah at HE OTHER until August 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860.

TTT TTT-TT-TTT TTTTTTTTTT faced by the average CIO are not usually the stuff of epic drama—except when they are.

Enter our hero: Jim Barton, the new CIO of the fictional IVK Corporation. He is the creation of authors Robert Austin, Richard Nolan, and Shannon O’Donnell, and his story gives a practical yet entertaining look at the true adventures of an IT leader.

Based on the authors’ years of firsthand experience with diverse companies, the story begins as the IVK Corporation struggles to recover from a period of slowing growth and falling stock prices. An aggressive new CEO handpicks Barton to be CIO—even though Barton has no background in IT.

When Barton takes the reins, he must quickly learn to navigate the strange new world of information technology, while meeting the high expectations of the CEO, the board of directors, and his conflicted staff. What he learns in his first year on the job clearly illustrates why the role of CIO is the most volatile, high-turnover job in business. We follow Barton’s adventures as he discovers what effective IT management is all about, deals with the everyday challenges of the job, responds to major crises, and remakes the company’s technology capabilities into a vital strategic asset.

Read the book from beginning to end or treat it as a series of case studies; the “How to Use This Book” section suggests chapters that address specific topics, while the authors’ reflection questions help you puzzle through the problems in

each episode. With vivid characters and memorable scenarios, The Adventures of an IT Leader is an engrossing way to enhance your IT leadership skills.

TTTTTT TTTTTT is a professor at Copenhagen Business School and at Harvard Business School, where he chairs the executive education program for CIOs with cochair TTTTTTT TTTTT, professor emeritus at Harvard and the Philip M. Condit Endowed Chair in Business Administration at the University of Washington. TTTTTTT T’TTTTTTT is a consultant with Cutter Consortium’s Innovation Practice and a PhD fellow at Copenhagen Business School.

(Continued on back flap)

(Continued from front flap)

art direction: stephani finks

jacket and interior illustrations: asaf hanuka

Get inspired. Stay informed. Join the discussion. Visit www.harvardbusiness.org/press TTT.TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.TTT/TTTTT

TTTTTTTTTT TT$29.95

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“ Ever wonder what a CIO’s life is really like? Read this engaging ‘novel’ to understand the experience of an IT executive.”

TTTTT TTTTTTT, chairman of the board and ceo, google inc.

“A highly readable, comprehensive treatment of the practical issues facing a CIO leader and his team. Very hands-on, practical, and actionable.”

T T. TTTTTT TTTTTTTT, albert h. gordon professor of business administration, emeritus, harvard business school

“Essential reading for all managers—energizes your team for an effective IT strategy.”

TTTT TTTTTTTTT, president and ceo, novell, inc.

“ Jim Barton’s travails at the IVK Corporation expose today’s complex world of technology, employees, vendors, and management. A must-read for senior IT professionals and managers of any industry.”

TTTTT TTTT, president and ceo, ascent media group

“ One of the black-hole challenges facing a CEO these days is IT management. The work of Rob Austin, Dick Nolan, and Shannon O’Donnell to humanize IT management and to introduce metrics, clarity, logic, and—even more importantly— common sense has been invaluable to us.”

TTTTTTT TTTTTT, president and ceo, the first marblehead corporation

“ I was amazed at how well this book captures, in a very engaging way, a wide variety of issues faced in the complex world of IT management. Reading about the trials and experiences of CIO Jim Barton helped me gain insight and learning I could apply in my real world. This book is a must-read for both young and seasoned IT managers.”

T TTTTT TTTTT, associate director, information systems, the procter & gamble company

“Such an enjoyable read you’ll barely be aware of how much you’re learning.”

T TTT TTTTTTT, principal, atlantic systems guild; and coauthor, peopleware: productive projects and teams

“ This excellent book leverages the case study approach to create a very readable story—at times a page-turner—that captures the major challenges facing a CIO and presents each one in a broad, multiperspective context.”

TTTT TTTT, senior vice president and chief information officer, exelon

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This document is authorized for use only by Lawrence Awuah at HE OTHER until August 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or

617.783.7860.

the

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This document is authorized for use only by Lawrence Awuah at HE OTHER until August 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or

617.783.7860.

Robert D. Austin Richard L. Nolan

Shannon O’Donnell

harvard business press

Boston, Massachusetts

the

Adventures of anIT Leader

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This document is authorized for use only by Lawrence Awuah at HE OTHER until August 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or

617.783.7860.

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive

victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

–Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Copyright 2009 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval

system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo-

copying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher.

Requests for permission should be directed to [email protected], or

mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston,

Massachusetts 02163.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Austin, Robert D. (Robert Daniel), 1962-

The adventures of an IT leader / by Robert D. Austin, Richard L. Nolan, Shannon

O’Donnell.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4221-4660-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Information technology—

Management. 2. Strategic planning—Data processing. 3. Management information

systems. 4. Information resources management. I. Nolan, Richard L. II. O’Donnell,

Shannon. III. Title.

HD30.2.A936 2009

004.068’4—dc22

2008041014

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Find more digital content or join the discussion on www.hbr.org.

The web addresses referenced and linked in this book were live and correct at the time of the book’s publication but may be subject to change.

mailto:[email protected]
www.hbr.org
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617.783.7860.

C O N T E N T S

Introduction 1

Part One: The Hero Called to Action

1. The New CIO 5

2. CIO Challenges 23

3. CIO Leadership 39

Part Two: The Road of Trials

4. The Cost of IT 55

5. The Value of IT 71

6. Project Management 89

7. The Runaway Project 107

8. IT Priorities 123

9. IT and the Board of Directors 141

Part Three: The Hero’s Ordeal

10. Crisis 157

11. Damage 173

12. Communication 189

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This document is authorized for use only by Lawrence Awuah at HE OTHER until August 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or

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Part Four: The Hero Breaks Through

13. Emerging Technology 211

14. Vendor Partnering 221

15. Managing Talent 235

16. Standardization and Innovation 253

Part Five: Master of Two Worlds

17. Managing Risk 267

18. Looking Forward 277

Epilogue 287

Notes 297

Ways of Using This Book 301

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms 305

Acknowledgments

About the Authors 313

Contents

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