Trending Up: Championing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)

New research confirms companies that build diverse and inclusive teams and an “Innovation By All” culture generate more high-quality ideas, realize greater speed in implementation, and achieve greater agility—resulting in 5.5 times the revenue growth of their less inclusive peers.

Innovation has always been critical for business growth, but now it’s integral to business survival, explained James Alcock, CTO, CIO and IT director. With 80 percent of tech leaders saying they are responsible for driving their companies’ innovation efforts, becoming a DE&I champion is no longer optional—it’s imperative.

Trending Up: Maximizing Peer Relationships

The role and influence of tech leaders has expanded beyond merely explaining new technologies to other C-level executives and board members. Going forward, tech leaders must be capable of building and sustaining peer relationships and bringing them along on the journey, Alcock said.

Indeed, research shows that tech leaders need to work cross-functionally with their C-suite peers in order to achieve their goals. However, the journey from peer influence to peer advantage requires a mix of social and emotional skills, transparency and technical skills. Actively developing those skills can give you the opportunity to advance.

Trending Up: Developing Employees

Tech leaders have been so busy solving technological challenges across the enterprise that they didn’t realize they have a problem: excessive turnover.

To stem the high churn, tech leaders are intentionally focusing on creating an environment where people can grow, explained Joe Woodruff, executive coach and co-founder of CIO Mastermind. That environment includes upskilling, especially for soft skills, and an emphasis on creating a positive employee experience.

Read the full report here