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For a busy technology executive, the Amazon Kindle is a lifesaver. It allows them to carry an unlimited number of technology books with them, no matter if they are in the office or on the road, helping them stay on top of a fast-changing field. Here are four technology leadership books available on the Kindle every technology leader should have.
Steve Jobs- Ten Lessons in Leadership
Written by Michael Essany, a best-selling author and long-time tech news reporter, “Steve Jobs- Ten Lessons in Leadership,” looks at the life and leadership of Steve Jobs. It offers ten lessons anyone can learn and apply in their work. For example, Lesson 2 is “The Details Don’t Matter..At First.” This seemingly dichotomous instruction makes clear sense on further reading.
The idea is to first determine what people want, rather than obsessing about minute details of a particular product. Only after finding something that people wanted, even if they didn’t know it at first, did Jobs set about obsessing about the details.
Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement
How will technology leaders of today find the leaders of tomorrow? Will our educational system be up to the task? Lynne M. Schrum and Barbara B. Levin lay out what is needed to bring a school in line with newly revamped National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators standards. They show how teachers, students and administrators can use the Internet, open source tools and other resources to perform administrative tasks and set curriculum topics.
There is a complete glossary of tech terms explained in plain English, allowing even the most tech-phobic educators to get up to speed. Our future technology leaders are in grade school right now. This book helps make sure our educational system is set up to train them effectively for the future.
The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World
We’ve come a long way from when an IT manager could ensure his job and customer satisfaction by buying “Big Blue.” Now technology leaders face an ever-changing landscape of new technologies and challenges including cloud computing, outsourcing, management and team building issues, and the shifting cultures in their own organizations.
Hunter Meller’s “The Transformational CIO” provides real stories from the front lines of technology leadership, featuring interviews with IT leaders from prominent companies like Disney, Boston Scientific, General Motors, Cisco, Citigroup, Microsoft and many more. Written in crisp, straightforward language, the transformational CIO gives technology leaders a useful guide to stay one step ahead of competitors.
Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader
Many technology leaders rise in an organization based on their intelligence, creativity, and technical expertise. If they are promoted to management, they may find that their management skills do not match their technological skills. Larry Bellefonte’s “Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader” identifies the qualities a CIO needs to bring an organization through rapid business and technological changes.
It gives IT managers sound advice on leadership qualities, the difference between managing and leading, and looks at communication skills, developing talent, and leading organizational change. As technology permeates every part of our lives, IT managers are tasked with leading the organization into uncharted waters. For new and experienced IT managers, this book will help navigate the company safely through.
These are four Kindle titles that any technology executive can benefit from reading and incorporating into their day-to-day activities. They were chosen because each gives a different perspective on the changes technology executives face every day, and will help build the skills needed to lead their teams though these challenges.
Roger Lowry is a business administrator and guest author at Top Business Degrees, a site with information and guides to the best business degrees and business schools.