I don’t know about you, but some of the most stupid people I’ve ever seen are “smart” technology leaders. What defines stupidity here? Not failed projects and not low IQ . Stupid technology leaders are considered by many to be quite intelligent. They have even been praised because of past successes. Furthermore, these leaders have considerable education, experience, and intellect. If you don’t want to be a stupid technology leader, practice the four traits of humility, servitude, inclusiveness, and emotional intelligence.
Humility
Successful technology leaders often have a need to show their intellectual superiority. Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You There Won’t Get You There notes that successful leaders often acquire the bad habit of telling the world how smart they are. These prideful leaders need to show their intellectual superiority by constantly (and often loudly) demonstrating that they are the smartest person in the room. For example, an organization stuck at Capability Maturity (CMMI) Level 1 may have these leaders who stymie growth and thrive on heroics putting out fires and saving the day just in time – every single time.
“It is what you learn after you know it all that counts”
John Wooden, Hall of fame basketball coach
The best leaders believe in continuous learning. They not only learn from their failures, but they learn from their successes. Leadership author John C. Maxwell calls this leadership trait teachability. Teachability is reflected in your attitude towards yourself and others. This smart leader is the technology expert who does not rest in the comfort of how much he knows. He leans forward to learn new things.
Servitude
Who hasn’t seen selfish leaders who are primarily concerned with themselves, their interests, or their ego? They seek first to promote themselves, and then perhaps to promote others if it suits their own self-interest. The worst leaders in history were selfish – caring about their wealth, political position, or their personal desires above everything else. Even good leaders are blinded by their ego and too often serve their own interests by promoting themselves rather than serving their customers or people who follow them.
The servant-leader considers the needs of others first. She continuously builds up her followers by finding ways for them to grow and achieve fulfillment in their roles. She gives them visibility, encouragement and inspires them to do their best. By feeding and nurturing followers, this leader keeps her ego in check.
Grace Hopper is an example of the model of a servant-leader. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, Hopper left her tenured position at Vassar to join the Women Accepted for Emergency Volunteer Service (WAVES). The WAVES assigned her to work at the Harvard Computation Laboratory, programming one of the world’s first computers.
“Don’t think less of yourself, Think of yourself less” – John C Maxwell, Leadership Expert
She was the mother of modern computing and assembled a team of specialists in the nascent computer science field. She created a safe environment for young, up-and-coming programmers and nurtured their ability to innovate and create. Her goal was to empower people as a collective, rather than herself as an individual. She brought together a diverse team of early programmers to create and design together, believing that ideas from the group would be stronger than hers alone. By bringing people together, understanding the needs of those she led, and subordinating her own glory and needs, she left her mark on the world of modern computer technology.
Inclusiveness
Most good leaders understand the need for diversity and inclusiveness and its contribution to technology innovation in successful organizations. They have respect and consideration for ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion in the workplace. Additionally, they focus on inclusiveness and the needs of individuals and promote a culture that supports diversity. But, good leaders may often overlook cognitive diversity – differences in how people think. In many cases, where ingenuity and creativity are called for to envision a solution, great minds don’t necessarily always think alike!
Let’s look at a cognitive extreme for an example – kids. Kids are innovative, fearless, and creative. They certainly haven’t achieved the brilliance of a successful leader. Do you think you’re smarter than a 5th grader? It could be that the mind of a 5th grader, with its openness and creativity, is exactly what your next technology project needs. Consider these kid-preneurs and their money-making inventions:
- 11-year-old Cassidy Goldstein invented crayon holders
- 6-year-old Kelly Reinhart invented the T-pack to carry video games
- 11-year-old Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle
- 8-year-old Abbey Fleck invented Makin’ Bacon to cook bacon in the microwave with reduced fat
While the typical technology leader may be intellectually superior to an 8-year-old, he cannot dismiss ideas by virtue of this superiority. The smart technology leader will consider the ideas of others, even those who are not his academic equal.
Consider the initial controversy that occurred in 2010 when Apple released the iPad. Many women cringed at the name of the new device. At the time, the technology company had an all-male executive leadership cadre. A woman may have been able to offer special insights into the commercial risks of using this name. Monolithic thinking is a recipe for disaster.
Emotional Intelligence
Stupid leaders have low emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to interact with others empathically. Dan Goleman, in his book Working with Emotional Intelligence, says that top performers excel because of emotional skills, not their intellectual skills. Technical and intellectual skills have limited effect on performance. As an example, the most successful computer programmers become top performers because of their emotional awareness. They are more willing to collaborate and help their teammates.
As Chief Information Officer at a federal agency, I once chose an Enterprise Architect who was not a technical person. Furthermore, he was a little eccentric, to say the least. Yet, his people skills were impeccable. He was able to bring people together and create consensus. His work was critical to defining a technology roadmap that met the needs of the agency. His success was due to his emotional intelligence and his ability to understand people’s needs. Though he knew less about technology than most, he continues to be one of the smartest technology leaders I know.
If you are a technology leader or a business leader, don’t be stupid. Check your ego and listen to others, serve your followers, and listen to their hearts. These are the actions of a smart leader.
About The Author
Linda
Cureton , CEO at Muse Technologies . Formerly served as CIO of NASA. Besides NASA she has served as CIOin even federal cabinet level including Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
