Skip to content
Tiatra, LLCTiatra, LLC
Tiatra, LLC
Information Technology Solutions for Washington, DC Government Agencies
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
 
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact

5 practical tips for emerging IT leaders

When they announced my name on stage at CIO Summit and Awards 2024 as the winner for Emerging ICT Leader of the Year award, my profound disbelief and shock flared up my impostor syndrome one more time as I walked up the stage. While walking up the stairs of that prestigious stage, I realized the immense responsibility I carried on my shoulders representing several women in tech who are walking their paths on their leadership journey while navigating their own complex inner worlds. 

I did not write a winning speech, as I was certain that I wouldn’t be the one taking the award home that day. But even being a finalist was an immense honor! Sharing the day with my Port whānau and having my husband by my side was all the reward I could have hoped to expect. My mentor often reminded me in my moments of doubt that “leadership is about behavior and not about titles.” It was something I held close to my heart, and it became a guiding mantra for every moment when my impostor syndrome flared up, telling me that I couldn’t or shouldn’t do X because I do not have a leadership title. 

My mentor’s voice echoed in my head as I climbed those stairs to deliver a speech from my heart. The little voice of doubt faded away quickly, and immense gratitude filled my heart as I realized how true those wise words had been in my story. 

Following the awards night, once the adrenaline rush from being in the spotlight wore off, I reflected on what exactly helped me be recognized as an emerging leader at my workplace and in the New Zealand tech industry. What follows are some of the insights I got with the help of hot chocolate- and masala tea-powered reflection sessions over the Christmas break. 

1. Discover the power of clarity 

There is nothing quite as powerful as having a focused vision of achieving what you want to achieve and supplementing the process with daily habits that enable you to be the person you want to be. What brings clarity to one person could be boring or borderline insufferable for another. I like to meditate, have a journal and work with a habit tracker, but my tools may not appeal to you. 

It’s important to take some time to identify – out of the million things mentioned in the self-help books about being your best self – what daily rituals align with you as you work your way to becoming the leader you aspire to be. With the amount of doom-scrolling most of us are now used to, it’s important to carve out time away from all distractions and figure out what it is you want to do and what daily habits and rituals can help you get there. 

Having clarity of vision and the ability to execute while staying true to your and your organization’s value systems will help you establish credibility and reliability within your workplace and the industry. Cal Newport’s book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, changed the way I operate and made room for deep work, focus and clarity of thought as I do what I need to do. My practices in creating a distraction-free space for myself where I can find the clarity of my thoughts and visions have helped me work through some mission-critical projects including the one that got me nominated for the Emerging ICT Leaders Award. 

I often work through the parting message I want to leave my audience with on any platform in those deep work sessions. My intent for the message and the keywords that I used to impart that message are often the product of the distraction-free spaces I have created for myself at work and home. Every piece of work product – whether it’s a piece of software or an article – I aim to achieve in a distraction-free space so I can give it the meaningful impact I want it to have on the world. 

As a leader, your clarity of thought, purpose and clear understanding of your organization’s strategic priorities will form the foundation of what your team can deliver to make the company’s mission a reality. In the tech industry, there is always new shiny fish to distract you. Today, it’s artificial intelligence (AI). Yesterday it was blockchain. I’m not saying those technologies don’t add value, but they only add value for the right use cases with the right setup. 

Without clarity of vision and the ability to communicate that vision via an easy-to-understand strategy, it’s very hard for any tech team to deliver on the organization’s strategic priorities. It would be impossible to prioritize what initiative/ technology is right for the organization at a given point in time while future-proofing in alignment with the organization’s aspired dream state. Understanding the organization’s “North Star” paired with the organization’s values can often bring the clarity one needs to work through such dilemmas. When faced with conflicting priorities, I often ask myself, “Will this help the organization in the long term?” The answer offers me the clarity I need to align the objectives to the organization’s strategic direction. 

2. Take charge of your 1:1s 

One-on-one (1:1) meetings offer an opportunity for you to work with your leader and establish a development plan that considers what you would like to achieve within the organization and your team. This also invites your leader to be a co-creator in your success story as you look for opportunities to lead projects, initiatives or teams. 1:1s also conveniently provide your boss an opportunity to coach you in your growth areas or enable support through workshops, training and/or coaching opportunities within or outside the organization. 

I have often found value in having my leaders also serve as my accountability partners as I decide on my yearly goals for upskilling. It has helped me stay true to the course. It all starts with the clarity of thought and purpose. Once you have that, aligning to the organization’s strategic objective could be something your leaders collaborate with you on. 

In general, mastering the art of meaningful 1:1 conversation can help create a peer group around you that can provide counsel, truth bombs or encouragement as you embark on the journey to be the kind of leader you want to be. 

3. Seek out coaches, mentors and peer groups 

There genuinely is no substitute for having mentors who have walked the path you are charting. Simply put: Everyone needs them. Having someone around you who can provide insight into the challenges you will be facing on your leadership journey – not to mention helping you build your leadership muscle – is an absolute privilege, and one that I don’t take for granted. I am the product of the immense effort my mentors have invested in shaping me and for that, I will forever be grateful to them. 

If your mentor is accessible to you in the form of informal coffee catchups, consider yourself lucky. But you don’t have to be limited to people within your own company, city or even country to be able to develop meaningful mentor-mentee relationships. With the power of social media and the internet, connecting with people virtually anywhere in the world is possible. Their geographic location doesn’t matter as much. What does matter is that your values should align with theirs and if they have considerable experience in the industry in which you’re planning to be an emerging leader, they can offer insight as you shape your leadership instincts. 

As someone who is still relatively early in her leadership journey, having access to a leadership coach has changed my entire approach to being the kind of leader I want to be. Coaching as a muscle is a concept all leaders should invest in to help their team members reach their maximum potential. I also believe even coaches need coaches! Having someone to support and enable the inner work that becomes a factor within the first year of leadership has been an absolute game-changer for me. 

There are avenues like Global Women’s Activate Leadership Program that offer not just coaching but a peer support group of established fellows and emerging leaders that can be a brilliant launchpad for wonderful wāhine stepping into leadership. The value of the lessons learned through those coaching sessions extends far beyond learning certain frameworks and tools. It’s the shared experience that forges those at different stages of leadership journeys to come together and help uplift each other. Looking for a network of fellow emerging leaders like CIO’s Emerging Leader’s Forum could also offer opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals who are working through the same joys and challenges of leadership as you. 

4. Go for impact over job titles 

As I mentioned earlier, leadership is not about titles. People often misunderstand the difference between a management title and true leadership. We thankfully live in a world where, especially in tech, you can be a leader without people management responsibilities. You can be an amazing rock star individual contributor who leads mission-critical projects and initiatives while being compensated handsomely without having any aspirations for a management title. 

It’s important to look for opportunities at the heart of what you want to do, that would also help the organization in the long term and support what your team needs to deliver to meet the strategic needs of the department. The power of clarity is crucial to know in what capacity you can add value and what role you can play in your organization’s success story. You could utilize your 1:1s with your leader to communicate your desire to contribute to projects that would also fulfill the goals of your development plan while meeting the needs of the business. Taking the initiative to be an active contributor to your department’s success story would inevitably help you establish your credibility and reliability as an emerging leader. 

5. Help nurture the next generation of leaders 

As the saying goes, a leader is only as good as the other leaders they grow. One of the most important qualities of any leader is their ability to coach, nurture and develop other leaders in their team. Investing in the next generation of leaders and lifting them up is not just reserved for people with fancy titles. I’ve found incredible value in hearing someone authentically share their experiences from all levels. 

Also, a mentor-mentee equation benefits both the mentor and the mentee: There’s as much learning for you in the process as a mentor as there is for a mentee. I have learned tremendous amounts from the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege to coach. Their curious minds and new perspectives have often expanded my horizons as much as sharing my experiences have (hopefully) helped them. 

The tech industry in New Zealand is such a tight-knit community, you are never too far away from someone early on their journey to whom you can lend a helping hand. Some of the most rewarding and nurturing relationships I have had are with the future emerging leaders I get to catch up with over coffee and pay forward the wisdom that has been passed on to me by my coaches, mentors and my life experiences. 

When in doubt, reach out 

I hope these reflections from a fellow emerging leader help you navigate your own leadership journey. Remember, when in doubt just fire up LinkedIn and shoot a message to someone who has or is inspiring you on your journey. The beauty of New Zealand’s tech space is such that you will find yourself having a virtual or IRL coffee with some talented and generous leaders in no time at all! 

Manvi Madan is manager of data and insights at the Port of Auckland. As part of Manvi’s role at the Port, she enables data-informed decisions by teaching machines to provide insights through data. She also mentors and nurtures the members of the data community within and outside POAL as she believes it is the culture that underpins the ethical use of technologies like ML and AI. 


Read More from This Article: 5 practical tips for emerging IT leaders
Source: News

Category: NewsJanuary 22, 2025
Tags: art

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:Enhancing data backup and recovery with AI and MLNextNext post:3 promises every CIO should keep in 2025

Related posts

Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
May 30, 2025
Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
May 30, 2025
The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
May 30, 2025
Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
May 30, 2025
“AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
May 30, 2025
“ROI는 어디에?” AI 도입을 재고하게 만드는 실패 사례
May 30, 2025
Recent Posts
  • Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
  • Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
  • The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
  • Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
  • “AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
Recent Comments
    Archives
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    Categories
    • News
    Meta
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Tiatra LLC.

    Tiatra, LLC, based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, proudly serves federal government agencies, organizations that work with the government and other commercial businesses and organizations. Tiatra specializes in a broad range of information technology (IT) development and management services incorporating solid engineering, attention to client needs, and meeting or exceeding any security parameters required. Our small yet innovative company is structured with a full complement of the necessary technical experts, working with hands-on management, to provide a high level of service and competitive pricing for your systems and engineering requirements.

    Find us on:

    FacebookTwitterLinkedin

    Submitclear

    Tiatra, LLC
    Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.