"It's time to change the world for IT leaders"

.....by MARC J. SCHILLER, Sept 30, 2011

You are a serious IT professional. Probably a manager with significant experience. Maybe even a CIO. I bet I know how you are feeling.

All around you see and hear how information technology is changing the fates of nations and redrawing the political world order, but in your day-to-day reality you struggle to prove the value of IT to your colleagues. Publicly, your CEO proclaims his dedication to investing in IT to achieve competitive advantage, but you and your team are often left out of key strategic planning meetings. Then, when the meeting is over, you have to somehow "figure it out" while being pulled in a hundred directions by competing demands. And worse of all, it's still really tough to keep the business actively engaged in critical projects.

It doesn't have to be like this. There’s a better way; A much better way. If you're tired of feeling like a second-class citizen and having IT taken for granted, you’re in the right place.

But before you read on to learn about the alternative I'm talking about, take a moment to share your name and email address. (This way, even if you get pulled away, you'll still have a way to get this information later.)

Become an influential IT leader

Despite the very real challenges you are facing, there are a select number of IT leaders that buck the trend. In contrast to what you may be experiencing, these IT leaders do have a seat at the executive table. They do play a central role in their organizations. They do enjoy substantial professional status and respect both inside their company and beyond. What's more, these IT leaders are very well compensated.

So what is it that makes these IT leaders special? What are they doing differently? What's their secret recipe for career success?

The essential ingredient

The key ingredient employed by this unique group of IT leaders is influence. Now before you shrug your shoulders, know that this isn't the definition of influence you may be thinking of. It doesn’t mean getting people to blindly do your bidding or using manipulative techniques or strong-arm backroom deals to get your way.

It's a unique flavor of influence — one especially tailored to the realities and demands of IT leadership and management. It's a form of influence that's rooted in a deeper understanding of IT's role (not to mention the role of IT leadership.) It's an influence built upon knowledge of your industry and business (and one that isn't taught to most IT professionals). This kind of influence is based on a clear perspective of what your business colleagues, stakeholders and bosses really need from you and how you are uniquely suited to meet that need.

This type of influence is the secret to successful IT leadership. I teach my clients to build and apply this influence in order to achieve their personal and professional goals. And it pays off on both sides — not only for you personally — because influential IT leaders are able to achieve greater outcomes for IT and for their companies.

Get what you really want — A seat and say at the executive table

Once you start on the critical path to influence, you'll experience a new professional reality for yourself and your entire group. For example:

• Complaints about IT projects will drop dramatically
• Your project backlog will come down
• Budgets approvals will become much easier
• You’ll be sought for vision and strategy processes
• You'll be asked to represent your company in areas beyond IT
• Your opinion and approval will be viewed as "a must" for IT initiatives and decisions

Are you ready to join the new league of IT leaders?

Start with my book, The 11 Secrets of Highly Influential IT Leaders. Previously, this information was available only to my consulting clients, but I've recently made it available more broadly for a greatly reduced cost.

The book is backed by my unconditional money back guarantee. This is not the infomercial-style gimmick the words "money back guarantee" might call to mind; it's a straightforward way to help you benefit from this material without having to worry about the cost, the value of these secrets or their appropriateness for you. I've set up this guarantee so that you can see for yourself that what I'm saying is true without having to take any risks at all.

If you're not yet ready to make the change and prefer to first test the waters and learn a little more about how influential IT leaders achieve their objectives, join my Insider’s list to stay in the loop. You'll get access to exclusive content that I don't publish on this site, in my blog or through any third party publications.

To your success,