Leadership Development and Information Technology Management and Leadership

Aspiring IT leaders can take specific steps to develop their skills and help their colleagues grow.

Understanding communications and developing good communication skills are critical to effective leadership and success across organizations. What styles of interaction are most comfortable for you? How can you adapt them to be effective with others? The keys to good communication are understanding how communication happens, accounting for individual communication styles, learning to diagnose the communication needs of others, and mastering the art of communicating with others in a way that takes into account their communication needs. This interactive seminar will focus on these key elements of communication with opportunities for self-discovery and discussions on adapting your styles to be effective with others.

What does a leader do when leading on the front edge without much support? The discussion will identify difficulties encountered in leadership, offer solutions to remedy challenging situations, and inspire leaders to adjust and persevere through difficult times to achieve success. Intermediate Level

This session provides an overview and background on the Frye Leadership Institute. Participants in the 2007 Institute will offer their comments and observations, and there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and engage in discussion of this special professional development opportunity.

As higher education institutions face a growing shortage of IT leaders, some executives question the need for a CIO while others see this role expanding. During this annual Gartner/EDUCAUSE update, we will look at the role of the CIO and how it has evolved, along with current and future institutional needs for IT leadership. We will also look at how institutions can prepare for the next generation of IT leaders and future models for IT governance.

This session will describe a leadership development process for IT professionals that includes a leadership framework (using leadership research instruments, examining individual strengths, promoting team participation); managing resources (program planning, organizing and budgeting, conflict resolution and negotiation); and improving performance of IT units (valuing diversity, futuring, trend analysis, scenario development and visioning, and entrepreneurship).

In November of 2006, Brian Hawkins announced his plans to retire from the presidency of EDUCAUSE at the end of the 2007•2008 academic year. For this session, he was asked to share the important lessons he has learned in his nearly 40-year career in higher education regarding management, leadership, and professional life. He will discuss issues including personnel management, professional development, and how to map a course for good leadership and a successful career.