When was the last time you had an “a-ha” moment? Not just the enjoyment of listening to someone’s good idea, but really experiencing a life-changing moment when, all of a sudden, things make sense, planets align, and you hear angelic harp music.  Admittedly, this might be a bit of a stretch but those moments occur and, when they do, it’s an eye-opening experience.

I experienced my latest “a-ha” moment while attending a full-day leadership workshop called “The Art of Leadership” a few months ago. There were a number of well-known leadership authors and gurus who spoke throughout the day such as Jim Kouzes, Mitch Joel, Susan Cain, and Marcus Buckingham, among others.  It was an absolutely amazing experience and the time flew by so quickly I could hardly believe an entire day had gone by.  My moment occurred while Susan Cain was speaking.  For those of you who have not read Susan’s book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”, it is a great book and I highly recommend it, not just for those of us who are introverts but for those of us who live and work with introverts on a daily basis.  It occurred to me that my style of leadership as an introvert is very different from someone who is an extrovert, but we each bring unique qualities to the practice of leadership. Many of us think that to be a great leader, you must be charismatic, outgoing, and always very energetic. While these qualities are very admirable and some great leaders do possess them, introverts bring a whole different set of traits and qualities to leadership that are now being recognized and appreciated. We all bring our own unique abilities, experiences, and personalities to the practice of leadership which makes it so very interesting!

The question is how do you learn about yourself as a leader and discover how you can use your abilities to lead in your own unique way? One way is to research on your own and read some great leadership development books, then put into practice daily what you learn. There are some great leadership blogs and websites available. A few blogs I follow regularly are Peter Bregman, Andy Cope, Trevor Blake, and Michael Bungay Stanier.

Another way is to attend COLLABORATE 13 and take in a mix of technical and professional sessions. This year we’re launching something new and exciting at COLLABORATE 13 – the IOUG Strategic Leadership Program!  For those of you who have already registered, you may have noticed there was an option on the registration form to indicate your interest in attending this program.  This is a track created for the senior technologist who is looking to take that next step in their career by enhancing his/her skills to effectively communicate ideas (telling the story), start thinking about how to integrate those ideas with your organization’s strategy and hear from others who have walked in similar “shoes” on the path they took. If this is something you are interested in, please be sure to check the box on the COLLABORATE registration page since admittance to the program is by invitation only. The program will launch on Sunday, with special 1-hour leadership sessions planned each afternoon Monday through Wednesday. Topics will include a panel on “The Essence of Great Leadership”, how to communicate your ideas to senior management, selling technology to the business, and discussing the role of the data scientist. Speakers will be well-known C-Level professionals in IT who have progressed in their careers from technologist to senior management by developing these crucial skills.  More information to come on the details of this program so please stay tuned!

In keeping with IOUG’s 20th anniversary celebrations for 2013, we have another fantastic and interesting interview with former IOUG Past President, Andy Flower. Read Andy’s interview and learn about how volunteering with IOUG has helped Andy develop his great leadership skills that helped move the IOUG forward.

Until next time, read a great book, listen to an interesting podcast, volunteer with your local Oracle user group or IOUG, and take time to think about how you can develop your leadership skills on a daily basis…every step taken toward better leadership counts.

Maria Anderson
IOUG Director of Volunteer Engagement and Leadership Development
maria_anderson@ioug.org