2021 marks the phenomenal milestone of my professional journey from being a young software programmer to becoming a CIO for more than a decade now. Today, I am excited to decode the DNA of a CIO and share with you all.
Reflecting on my own experience, here are three principles that the new age professionals can keep in mind while planning to evolve in their career and carve out a niche for themselves:
#Being technology-agnostic: collective learning v/s selective learning
In my intensive two decades of being in the tech industry, one constant thing was my continuous learning – be it learning different programming languages or learning about the business on the job.
My intention was not to secure my next job but to deliver with passion on the job and demonstrate excellence. Unlike many experts who learn a particular software and drove their careers through selective learning, I chose collective learning instead. I have seen that problem/scenarios changes overnight and a new IT solution emerges.
So, having the muscle to learn any kind of software at any given time and having the ability to serve it in a customized manner to my clients has made me unique and has given me a 360-degree approach towards new solutions. I thrived on this muscle of being technology agnostic and solution-driven rather than being selective programming language-driven.
I realized that the future lies in the partnership of people, Internet of things (IoT), and inclusive products around it, coupled with the global mission of ‘Internet of Us’.
# Have a blended approach towards learning to usher holistic learning
In the pre-Google age, we used to go to libraries or talk to people to get the desired information. This encouraged a constant interaction with my mentors and colleagues, which helped me to retain that human touch while getting to know the information. Eventually, this habit made me a tech protagonist who preferred not to sit in silos and do coding but also to invest time and build a strong network with other business functions and grow as a leader.
To all the aspiring tech leaders, I would say, have a blended approach towards learning. Don’t be confined with data access; rather break the pattern and follow data influencers and excel as a community.
#Learn to own a domain
While many successful CIOs are multi-domain experts but interestingly, I remain a single domain expert in logistics coupled with in-depth knowledge of all business functions. I had the opportunity to work in varied portfolios ranging from Express Distribution, Air Cargo, Surface Logistics, Transportation, Trucking, 3PL, Warehousing, Rail Logistics, ICDs, Ports and now specialised SCM & logistics applications like Automotive Supply Chain, e-Commerce and many more. This versatile experience created the DNA to suit the role of a CIO who not only runs the tech processes but also makes the business profitable.
I invite you to become a tech-leader just not to show the way for others but to lead is to express your uniqueness and show it’ strength all time. Rise like a Phoenix and solve the problem with innovation every-time especially within a crisis.
Written by Harvinder Singh Banga, Chief Technology Officer – Logistics at Motherson Group | CIO | CTO | SCM|