C&L: Emotion is the heart of change

There's an article at CIO Magazine that every tech leader and future business leader needs to read. It's not your typical 'how to make IT work,' but an interesting take on what really fosters IT success--the ability to change. Change as a leader, and propelling change among staff, is key to any business endeavor. You'll likely be as surprised as I was to find that emotion is a huge factor in having change accepted and, more importantly, endorsed. Here's a great snippet from the piece: "CIOs, typically steeped in analytical training, are even more apt to follow this pattern and overlook the emotional element of change. Although analyzing and thinking are important, we found that seeing and feeling must be present in order to impel people to change their behaviors." You'll very likely come away with a very different perspective than what you had about change and change management prior to reading the piece.

In the meantime, here are some recent career announcements about colleagues taking on new leadership roles:

William Oates has been taped at Boston's CIO, a mayoral cabinet role that oversees technology initiatives including the deployment of wireless connectivity citywide.

Donald Donahue, former CIO of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, is now the company's president and CEO.

Dana Deasy has been named CIO at GM North America.