How to become a tech leader: Insights from AstraZeneca and PageGroup

👀 Ever wonder how tech pros make the leap into leadership? Turns out, it’s not just about being the best coder in the room anymore. In the latest #TechCareerDecoded newsletter, Alberto Treviño (AstraZeneca) and Mike Daley (PageGroup) share how they went from tech specialists to global leaders—and it’s all about: ✨ Listening and empathy ✨ Business smarts ✨ Clear communication ✨ Empowering teams ✨ Thinking beyond the tech Their stories are a great reminder that leadership is learned—and soft skills matter more than ever. 💬 What do you think makes a great tech leader today? #TechLeadership #CareerGrowth #Innovation #SoftSkills #LeadershipJourney #MichaelPage

McKinsey & Company has conducted a series of interviews on a topic I care deeply about: technology leadership as business leadership. The series brings together perspectives from executives who are showing how technology strategy creates measurable business value. The conversations illustrate how today’s technology leaders are orchestrators, builders, protectors, and operators. Those categories reflect what I see in my own consulting work: the best technology decisions are process, control, and strategy decisions all at once. #TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy #WomenInLeadership #DigitalTransformation

The final two mistakes we see in PE-backed manufacturing leadership searches are increasingly intertwined and increasingly costly. The first: Overlooking digital fluency. Many companies hire leaders who can manage systems, not transform them. The result? Millions in tech investment without measurable throughput gains. The second: Overvaluing cost-cutting. It’s a short-term win that often undermines innovation, growth, and employee retention—the very levers that drive exit value. Avoiding these mistakes means identifying leaders who can connect technology decisions to EBITDA outcomes and who understand that sustainable efficiency is built through foresight, not austerity. 📖 Read the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/eJyvW95j 🤝 Let’s talk about finding growth-oriented executives who thrive in PE-backed environments: https://lnkd.in/eAA3HCt9 #DigitalFluency #ValueCreation #ManufacturingLeadership #ExecutiveRecruiting #KerstenTalentCapital

Yesterday I had the chance to speak on 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆 with Ville Vanhala and the Futures Platform community. Over 300 people signed up, and I'm happy to share that the recording is now live and available for all: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆 We explored what it takes to lead with foresight, not just in theory, but in practice. Here are my top 3 key takeaways... 💫 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆  Annual strategy cycles aren’t enough. Future-fit leaders build foresight into ongoing rhythms to stay adaptive and ahead. 🌟 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆  Integrating foresight can feel uncomfortable, it challenges the idea that prediction equals control. But its strength lies in presenting structured possibilities and building confidence through preparation, not prediction. ✨ 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀  Trend and signal detection becomes more powerful when it includes perspectives across business units and seniority levels. Foresight thrives on internal diversity. Thank you to everyone who joined live and brought real questions to the table. If you’re building foresight capacity or coaching leaders through change, I'd love to connect with you!

No one ever said leadership was easy. And in a constantly shifting business technology landscape, that's more true than ever before. There are countless missteps that can undermine a CIO’s impact, from communication gaps to short-term thinking. For enterprise leaders, influence depends on pairing vision with the right infrastructure. Optimum Business helps enterprises back up bold strategy with reliable, scalable technology solutions that deliver results. https://lnkd.in/e8C5Tzvc #OptimumBusiness #EnterpriseLeadership #DigitalTransformation

Your resume shows 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 you did. A great leadership profile shows 𝘩𝘰𝘸 you operate and 𝘸𝘩𝘺 it matters. This is what a world-class operator looks like. Meet Justin Baird. He’s not just a CTO. He’s a technology alchemist who has built 0-to-1 products, led $100M+ digital transformations, and now mentors C-suites on practical AI adoption. His Fractional First Leadership Profile (generated with our new tool) doesn't just list titles. It maps his core strengths, his operating style, and the specific problems he solves. This is the level of clarity CEOs, founders, and Family Office leaders need when they're looking for the right partner. And it's the standard for the leaders in the Fractional First network. See Justin's full profile: https://lnkd.in/gySTy8aC P.S. Ready to map your own strengths? You can generate your own Fractional First Leadership Profile preview here: https://lnkd.in/gE9GTfQG #FractionalCTO #DigitalTransformation #Leadership

No one ever said leadership was easy. And in a constantly shifting business technology landscape, that's more true than ever before. There are countless missteps that can undermine a CIO’s impact, from communication gaps to short-term thinking. For enterprise leaders, influence depends on pairing vision with the right infrastructure. Optimum Business helps enterprises back up bold strategy with reliable, scalable technology solutions that deliver results. https://lnkd.in/gy4j4MG5 #OptimumBusiness #EnterpriseLeadership #DigitalTransformation

Just launched yesterday, our latest global CEO survey, The CEO Response, features insights from 1,235 chief executives. This year’s findings reveal a pivotal shift in leadership mindset: CEOs are no longer simply reacting to volatility—they are using it as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and progress. From geopolitical instability to AI-powered innovation, to other long-term issues, discover how today’s CEOs are laser-focused on leading differently and steering their organizations to meet the moment. Explore the study featured in The New York Times from Thursday morning: https://lnkd.in/gfpaZBKn Dive deep into the minds of CEOs: https://ego.nz/CEOResponse

The next wave of leadership is happening in private ecosystems. New research from Circle shows senior executives are shifting away from crowded digital spaces toward small, insight-driven networks where ideas move faster than algorithms. For solution providers, it’s a signal: influence now depends on proximity, not promotion. What kind of space helps senior leaders and innovators exchange ideas that actually move the market? We’ve been quietly building something that puts this belief into practice – and we’ll share more next week. (Source in first comment.) #Leadership #ExecutiveNetworking #B2BStrategy #DemandGeneration #CommunityEconomy #ExecutiveInsights

In my latest #CIOLeadershipLive interview, I sit down with Connie Beck, Group Director - Transformation & Digital at Urbis, to talk about the future of digital leadership and innovation. Connie shares how Urbis is developing its GenAI platform to drive new value across the business - and why career development and continuous learning are at the heart of their transformation strategy. We also discuss the emerging skillsets she believes will define technology leadership heading into 2026. A fantastic conversation on curiosity, capability, and leading through change. Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/dq6tB3Gb