As a manager, what are the qualities you value most in your employees? I'm not necessarily talking about tech skills. While great tech skills are important and sometimes even a rare commodity, I also value people who can bring their tech skills and work well in a team environment, have an interest in, and even a thirst for, the business, and have the tenacity to deliver and be accountable to achieve results. There are very few circumstances when an individual can get a job done alone. The problems we need to solve and the opportunities we need to address as technology professionals require us to collaborate. And we collaborate with a purpose in solving something to move a business forward. Something else to think about: Too often, IT is known for never-ending projects. IT professionals and teams that are known to get the job done will garner the praises of the business.
In the course of your career, what do you wish you hadn't done? Not to be a Pollyanna, but when I look back at my career, I can't say that I wish I hadn't done one thing or another. Sure, I have run into problems and have made my share of mistakes, but I don't wish they hadn't happened. At the time, I might have felt differently. But in retrospect, all of my experiences, including the mistakes, have added to my current capabilities and knowledge.
If you have a question for one of our Premier 100 IT Leaders, send it to askaleader@computerworld.com, and watch for this column each month.


















