By Tony Velleca, Joint CIO and Vice-President (Services and Solutions)
Possibilities don't always present themselves as possibilities.
In fact, often they're disguised as problems
I came to California straight out of college and purchased a
36-foot trawler in King Harbor Marina within two weeks of
arriving. I have plenty of boating experience on a lake. But I
had never piloted an ocean-going vessel. My first challenge came
before I even hit the water - insurance companies didn't like the
idea of insuring someone with no ocean experience. After many
calls, I finally found someone who would take a chance on me.
That boat was my home for the next five
years. Since then I've captained crews all over the world.
I would have missed a great opportunity if I didn't take the challenge,
remain persistent and then trust in my own ability to figure things out
along the way. I believe that is the fastest way to success.
For better or worse, I am an eternal optimist. I see possibilities where
others see problems. And right now I see endless possibilities for CIOs.
We are in an era characterized by speed, which in turn forces constant change
and a willingness to learn as we go. True innovators have an idea, act on it,
see how it goes, change course as necessary, and cancel if it doesn't make
sense. That can be scary. But it also can be what transforms a CIO from ordinary
to extraordinary.
A post
by leading IT Futurist Thornton May introduces what promises to be an interesting
perspective on what he calls "the rise and fall of the CIO." As we start a new
year, it's a good time to examine what's before us.
Through my next three blog posts, I'd like to carry on a discussion about how CIOs
can proactively discover the endless possibilities. From my experience helping
transform leaders, I've seen the importance of understanding:
The three types of innovation - traditional,
evolutionary and disruptive - and what we need to know in order
to achieve disruptive innovation: about the business, about
human behavior and motivations, about how to combine those
to bring about endless possibilities.
How to build a team that can bring the
possibilities to life.
How to create an environment in which that team -
and those possibilities - can thrive.
But first I'd like to hear from you. Have you had an experience when a
problem turned into a possibility once you discovered the potential –
and acted on it?
