Stories by Susan H. Cramm

If you had to, which would you choose: to be a great strategic thinker or a great strategy maker? The answer follows the same logic as the question: "Would you rather be smart or rich?"

At one time or another, everyone makes mistakes

Reader questions about coaching resources and encouraging "right learning"

IT executives need to find collaborative business partners. Leaders listen a lot so they can tell what motivates people to act

How to use simple but powerful actions to communicate your leadership agenda

In person or via teleconference, improve your decision-making processes in the meeting room.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about the future of our profession.

You threw what you thought was a pebble into a pond and created ripples that have your conference rooms awash with disagreements, debates and dissension. The new strategy seemed simple enough: Transition to a common system across all operating units in order to enhance supply chain performance

In person or via teleconference, improve your decision-making processes in the meeting room.

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

I was daydreaming in the car today and overheard that al Qaeda has a CIO.

You would think that the executive who consumes, on average, nearly 50 percent of the capital invested by businesses would have a lot of power. You would be wrong

CIOs, like other executives, often fail in their responsibilities because they don't have the self-awareness and humility to mitigate their weaknesses and avoid overusing their strengths. Very few of us, in fact, are able to see ourselves through the eyes of others. We require some kind of external feedback

In my experience, most people are good. Walk the halls of any company and you will find committed parents, involved community members and hardworking professionals. How then to explain the fact that on a daily basis many of us behave badly, demonstrating such self-defeating behaviours as pessimism, selfishness and insecurity?

IT leadership is never easy, but some people make it harder than it has to be.