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As a CIO or IT executive reporting directly to the CEO and providing updates to the board, now's a good time to consider an IT assurance document. As the economy changes, leaders need a clear view of their technology investments, priorities and the value their IT function delivers. It is critical you communicate and prepare IT for economic uncertainty. Start With Purpose And Scope An effective assurance document should begin with the overall purpose and scope of the IT functi

When the economy becomes challenging, it's worth taking a step back and asking a simple question... Are your products and services delivering the value your business needs? For leaders, this isn't just about cutting costs or improving margins. It's about understanding what's working, what needs attention and where the next opportunity for growth might come from. I’m working through this with a couple of clients, using three practical steps to assess their products and serv

Over the last eight years, I’ve worked with a range of organisations and leaders, some for a considerable period of time. I’ve seen their employee engagement scores improve. I’ve also seen them deliver greater value to the business. So what have these leaders done? There are five things that consistently stand out. 1. Communicate Regularly Great leaders communicate consistently. They establish a rhythm, often on a particular day and time each week. It might be a video, an

There's always something new competing for attention in technology. A shiny new platform. A new AI capability. A new tool promising to transform the organisation. Those working in IT know the wrestle well. The opportunity may be exciting, but the resources required to deliver it are real. Sometimes, the most important work isn't the work that attracts the most attention. It's the work beneath the surface ... make sure you consider doing the difficult things! 1. Educate Beyond

Technology trends are only valuable if they help leaders make better decisions today. Too often organisations become distracted by the latest innovation while overlooking the structural shifts that will fundamentally change how they operate over the next five years. The organisations that create long-term advantage won't necessarily adopt technology first. They'll understand how these trends reshape strategy, governance and operating models before their competitors do. Here

One of the trends I'm observing this year is a growing number of redundancies across organisations. At the same time, executives are being asked to make increasingly difficult decisions about where resources should be deployed and which initiatives deserve investment. I spend a lot of time working with CIOs and Chief Technology Officers, but the principle I'm about to share can be applied across almost any function within an organisation. It's what I call the "Rule of Thirds

Value and effort sits at the centre of better decision making across organisations. When working with clients, I see teams overwhelmed by choice when building services, products and programs for market. The issue is rarely a lack of ideas… It's the inability to prioritise where effort should be applied for the greatest value return, business impact. A simple lens like this cuts through noise and forces clearer commercial conversations. Mapping value and effort When organisa

It's becoming a familiar pattern… A leadership offsite is booked, expectations are high, and yet the outcome falls short. People leave unclear, disengaged, or questioning the value of stepping away from the business. The issue is not the concept of an offsite. It's how they are structured and led. Clarity Before Conversation Every offsite needs a clear starting point. A “view from the bridge” anchors the room. It aligns leaders on context, performance, and the challenges ah

There's a quiet tension I'm seeing across organisations right now. On the surface, leadership teams are aligned. Strategies are in place. Communication plans exist. But underneath, there is a different story playing out - one where employees are questioning direction, consistency, and ultimately, integrity. Not necessarily at the executive level, but across the broader organisation. So the question becomes a simple one, and a confronting one. How are you operating with inte

How are you thinking about the problems in front of you? I want to introduce a simple but powerful concept - downstream and upstream thinking. It’s an idea that helps leaders distinguish between solving symptoms and shaping outcomes. Many executives spend most of their time responding to issues as they arise. That can feel productive, but it often locks organisations into a cycle of reaction instead of meaningful progress. Everyone can benefit from understanding the differen

What if there was one action that could improve your executive leadership and team performance as you enter 2026? Would you like a 25% performance uplift? Research from Harvard Business Review shows that teams conducting structured retrospectives are 25% more likely to achieve their outcomes in the following year. A quality retrospective allows leaders to reflect, learn, and make deliberate choices about how the next year will unfold. 1. Examining Achievements Start by review

How to avoid being fired Most CIOs don’t lose their job because of one big mistake - it’s usually a collection of small but important things that get overlooked. Here are the five core factors I see most often, and what leaders can learn from them. 1. Missing Clarity Clarity is almost always the first problem. Some CIOs deliver major projects without a clear strategy that explains the value technology brings to the organisation. Others create strategy documents that sound imp

Quantum computing is increasingly viewed as a genuine cyber-risk, not just a distant technical concept. Intelligence and industry reports warn that state-sponsored actors are preparing for a future where quantum machines could undermine today’s encryption systems - a threat the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) also recognises. ASD guidance states that organisations should stop using traditional encryption (such as RSA and ECC) by 2030 as part of Australia’s post-quantum c

You’re a technology executive reporting to the CEO, with a strong relationship with the board. You’ve delivered on your strategy, successfully mobilised programs, and embedded new ways of working. But something still feels missing, you are aware you need to be broader with leading tech change across the business. Beyond the buzz around AI, new waves of technological transfer are reshaping how industries operate. If your organisation doesn’t consider and integrate these emergi

It’s Melbourne Cup week - that time when many organisations in Australia lose a bit of rhythm. Although the public holiday is only observed in Melbourne, it often feels like the whole country slows down. I’ve seen it firsthand. When I was leading technology teams, progress would pause around Tuesday, and it could take the rest of the week to get back on track. That said, I’ve always enjoyed this time of year. When I lived in London from 2001 to 2010, I’d often return to Melbo

Have you ever wondered why your organisation’s initiatives or performance feel inconsistent - sometimes energised, other times sluggish? Unblocking organisational performance is key for many executives. Often, the issue isn’t at the executive or general manager level, but rather within the management layer. These individuals are usually committed and capable, yet lack the broader context, experience, or tools to lead through today’s complex change programmes. The challenge is

As the financial year draws to a close in Australia and some other parts of the world, it presents an ideal moment to pause, reflect, and...

Despite AI’s potential, many strategies fail and technical debt is a key contributor . Gartner reports that 85% of AI projects deliver...

The topic of technical debt and the challenges that are arising with it is surfacing among new executives in role. So what is technical...

In recent weeks, I've been presenting, discussing, guest podcasting, and pitching my 2030 Tech Trends research. These trends are...