The Progressive CIO – People first. Technology last.

“But who among us is perfect? Even the greatest strategists have their eclipses, and the greatest blunders, like the thickest ropes, are often compounded of a multitude of strands. Take the rope apart, separate it into the small threads that compose it, and you can break them one by one. You think, ‘That is all there was!’ But twist them all together and you have something tremendous.”

—Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

(Background image: Victor Hugo’s resting place, the Pantheon, Paris)

This is a place for all technology leaders.

It is 2024. What does being a technology leader entail for you?

The Progressive CIO is not about any one person. It is about an idea…the idea of a technology leader who looks beyond what is merely expected of a technologist today, and who seeks to look more broadly at the potential for her or his role to be one of significant human leadership. There are blog posts about this scattered around the web, but this is an entire site devoted to the topic.

Whether you are a CIO, CTO, IT Director, Software Development Manager, Engineering Manager, Business Analyst, Product Owner, Project Manager, or even someone who works with those people, please pour yourself a cup or glass of your favorite beverage, have a seat, and help us participate in a public dialogue about the aspects of your work that you don’t have a chance to discuss somewhere else.

If you happen to be a CEO, President, or other executive who employs technology leaders, I hope you find these pages illuminating in nurturing your organization’s leadership talent.

Successful technology leaders must think deeply about people before technology. My experience has shown me that the following values are the most germane to leadership success:

Vulnerability • Humility • Empathy • Patience • Compassion • Curiosity • Commitment • Willingness

In the months and years to come, I hope other leaders will join me in a global discussion about how we can reshape technology leadership through more deliberate consideration of values like these.

Regular posts appear in the blog. Because I do not wish to maintain a WordPress comment feed (or force you to have yet another set of credentials), the public is encouraged to discuss blog posts on twitter.com/theprogcio or linkedin.com/company/theprogcio, where blog posts will be announced.