What are the most important skills for IT managers to develop now in preparation for the future? How can IT managers prepare themselves to survive and be successful 5 and 10 years out? According to The Advisory Council, the answers are not about specific technologies. Rather, the answers are in the personal preparedness arena. To start, aspire to be an authentic leader, remember that relationships -- not technology -- are the basis of personal credibility, and learn to learn. Free advisory brief.

Bart Bolton, a TAC Thought Leader, believes that effective leadership is by far the most important capability the IT manager will need, followed by honing interpersonal skills to develop an effective, personal leadership style.

His picks for the top 10 capabilities for IT managers to be successful now -- and over the next ten years -- include:

Leadership: It begins with knowing who you are, what you’re good at, and what you believe in. With that as a foundation, your self-confidence will allow you to lead people whether they work for you or not. Effective leadership allows you to transcend geographies, organizations, and cultures. It will produce desired results despite the ambiguity and level of risk. The key is to be an "authentic" leader.

Relationship Building: Having a significant personal network of people will continue to be a smart way to operate in one’s career. Not only does it provide the right contacts for career situations but also enables you to practice "just in time learning". Building and nurturing relationships is essential to working with people who are not your direct reports, or who live halfway around the world from you. Relationships -- not technology -- are the basis of your personal credibility.

Learning: Given the rate of change we’ve experienced for the first fifty years of IT, there are so many and so much to learn. It’s a never-ending process. So, one must learn how to learn. One needs to understand how he/she learns, from both effectiveness and efficiency points of view. There are so many books that need to be read. So, how does one learn to take an allotted period of time and get the most he/she can out of the book in that period of time? That’s the only way one can practice continuous learning.

Business Acumen: There is no question today that the IT manager must be good at "business speak". We must be able to talk with business people in their language but even more importantly, we must understand the industry, where our company plays in that industry, our unique selling proposition, how we make money, and what our customers are like. We need to get to know some of the key customers. How else can we possibly understand where our technology can help add to our revenue stream?

International Cultures: The globalization that is upon us, and the off-shoring to foreign countries, requires that we learn to work with and understand international cultures. More and more industries, e.g. life insurance and healthcare, are beginning to venture into other countries. The "American way" will not always bring success in how we run our business, or in how we develop and nurture our relationships.

Completing Bolton's top 10 skills list for IT managers:

• Listening and communicating
• Mentoring
• Project management
• Change management
• Producing results

Contact The Advisory Council for a complimentary copy of the complete SmartTip, "Top Ten Skills for Future IT Managers" by Bart Bolton.

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