Stories about: eMotion

I'm always amazed that people-even IT people-don't know enough about what's really going on with SAP or seem to really care about it. This is, after all, a $16 billion company whose software pumps the lifeblood of most large enterprises and, if SAP execs have their way, small and midsize companies in the near future.

Jyoti Bandopadhyay, VP--IT for Indian company [[xref:http://www.torrentpower.com/|Torrent Power]], was a worried man. He was in charge of an ERP implementation for the company, and had spent US$5.5 million on software licensing and US$82 thousand on hardware -- but the project was going nowhere.

Canberra-based knowledge economy and social computing evangelist Stephen Collins heard a quote earlier this year that perfectly describes the Enterprise 2.0 dilemma: "If you want to find out what tools your staff are finding most useful at the moment, just go and see what your IT department is blocking"

Caution: Watch for backstabbers, career breakers and emerging megatrends.

CIOs often yearn for new worlds to conquer. For many, the first step on that journey is to earn the right to manage a P&L. In order to achieve that goal, executives listen to their external customers, engage with the business, focus on innovation and look for new revenue opportunities. These CIOs build new business models and sell them to their CEOs. In return, they receive the keys to P&L management

Smiling can be a valuable leadership trait, but the truth is, many leaders forget to do it. Here's a reminder for using your smile to a leadership advantage.

It's amazing how often executives are stymied by their inability to influence others. The typical scenario involves a talented, change-oriented leader who gets a shot at a more visible role. In the process of getting stuff done, he steps on a few (very influential) toes. Over a couple of years, the executive racks up some impressive accomplishments but finds that his success is hindered by the organizational minefields his actions have sown over the years. As a result, the executive tires of the level of effort required to move things forward and decides that it's time to move on

What's one sure way to become a better leader and improve the morale of your staff? Become a better listener.

In this podcast, the second of two parts, Filomena Sousa, CEO of corporate "error reduction" firm Talsico discusses what a CIO needs to know to lead a boardroom discussion and gives some interesting tips how to tread the fine line between making decisions based on logic and emotion.

It's a scenario scary enough to induce night sweats in even the steeliest CIO. Your CEO, just back from a conference in Port Douglas, strides into your office. Yesterday, he played golf with the vice president of sales for one of the big IT services companies and now he's telling you that this company could take over most of your IT functions and cut your company's IT budget in half. Not only that, they can deliver better services levels. After all, it's what they do!

It's a long climb to the top - and when you get there it can be lonely.