Like any professional, a technology leader can benefit from continuing education. In addition to staying up with the latest tech trends, brushing up on “soft” skills and subjects can help a tech leader better manage their team members and their time, interact effectively with colleagues, understand end users and more.
As 2023 wraps up and tech leaders look ahead to 2024, it’s certainly essential for them to pinpoint and study the emerging technology tools and processes that will impact their industry and organization in the months to come. However, balancing technical research with honing evergreen leadership skills can lead to a more effective and prosperous lifetime career. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council discuss the subjects and skills today’s tech leaders should focus on as they pursue continuing education.
1. Artificial Intelligence
As we continue to see AI evolve across industries, it is critical that tech leaders continue to immerse themselves in practical applications for AI. As new AI tools hit the market, tech leaders need to have a deep understanding of how to develop the infrastructure to maximize these tools and reap the benefits that AI can bring for businesses. – Ed Macosky, Boomi
2. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity doesn’t fall solely within your IT department’s purview. If you own a smartphone, work on a computer or use the internet, then you’re exposed to a variety of complex security risks on a constant, daily basis. Tech leaders should continually educate themselves on what these threats are and what they can do about them—both to protect themselves and their organizations. – Caroline Wong, Cobalt
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3. Strategic Domain Management
Domains are only administered in most companies; strategic domain management, including risk management, is often completely missing. A solid domain strategy with risk monitoring not only protects your brand, but also offers opportunities for market expansion and differentiation. Failure to have a domain strategy puts reputational capital and revenue at risk. Strategic domain management is a must-study topic for any executive in the digital era. – Daniel Strauss, Team Internet Group PLC
4. AI’s Impact On The Workforce
These days, leaders should be soaking up as much about AI as possible—specifically, its impact on the workforce. From developers to data entry admins, people are hearing about the potential for job losses. Leaders should get ahead by learning how to modernize the skills of their people. Valued veterans are keepers—AI will not replace their institutional knowledge. – Chris Stegh, eGroup | Enabling Technologies
5. Design Thinking
In my view, one of the most important topics for technology executives to include in their education is design thinking. While technical skills are very important, design thinking helps in solving real-world consumer problems through technology and is one of the core approaches that can make all the difference. Design thinking helps tech leaders map IT value streams and solutions to real business outcomes. – Anjali Chhabra Nandwani, Tech Mahindra Americas Inc.
6. Storytelling
Learn to tell a story. Technology leaders are quick to lay out requirements and ideas, but they often neglect to tell a story about why their ideas are critical to the organization and its stakeholders. Learn to break down complex topics into digestible stories that engage your audience and make your points real. – Lee Mangold, Fortress Information Security
7. Psychological Safety
Leaders should venture beyond technical knowledge. An area to explore is the concept of psychological safety. By integrating aspects of emotional intelligence, leaders can pave the way for employees to voice ideas, seek help and question the status quo without fearing repercussions. Such a nurturing environment can propel innovation, harness diverse viewpoints and foster rapid adaptability. – Andreas Pettersson, Arcules
8. Biomimicry
Tech leaders should explore biomimicry—learning from nature’s strategies to solve human challenges. Understanding how nature has evolved solutions can inspire innovative, sustainable tech. This approach offers a fresh perspective and can lead to efficient, effective technology that addresses today’s challenges while considering the impact on our planet and its ecosystems. – Joseph Rutakangwa, Rwazi
9. Executive Gravitas
In addition to tech proficiency, tech leaders should invest in honing their executive gravitas. It’s not just about expertise; it’s about having the ability to influence, inspire and lead decisively in a dynamic tech landscape. Gravitas equips leaders with an authentic presence, ensuring their voice resonates, their decisions are respected and their visions are shared, driving impactful organizational growth. – Chaitra Vedullapalli, Women in Cloud
10. Emotional Intelligence
One crucial area that tech leaders should prioritize in their professional development is emotional intelligence, also known as EI or EQ. Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to recognize, understand, manage and effectively use emotions, both in oneself and in others. While technical skills and domain expertise are undoubtedly vital for tech leaders, EQ has increasing significance. – Dax Grant, Global Transform
11. Generative AI
Generative AI is already proving to be a transformational technology, and your products and services are likely already changing because of it. Continue to build those skills to stay ahead of and take full advantage of the possibilities of this AI-dominated era. – Praerit Garg, Smartsheet
12. Driving Business Outcomes Through Emerging Technologies
The one skill that we need to learn is how to understand and assimilate newer technologies into an existing landscape in a way that drives business outcomes. There is no premium for knowing the latest generative AI tool or cybersecurity suite. It is the ability to keep an open mind when it comes to new ideas and to use them effectively with the talent at hand that matters. That is the skill tech leaders need but often find hard to learn. – Samiran Ghosh, Unblox
13. Negotiating
Whether you are interacting with a customer, a partner, a supplier, a boss or an employee, you are constantly negotiating (with or without being fully aware of it). It is important to break down the art of negotiation into a science and to equip yourself with this much-needed skill. It is important to have a growth mindset and value-based exchange with every interaction. – Karthik Sj, Aisera
14. Responsible AI Development And Usage
We must focus on ongoing education in two key areas. First, cybersecurity is vital for data protection and trust-building with our partners and our end customers. Second, given AI’s widespread influence, responsible AI development and usage isn’t just a choice; it’s a necessity. It demands a deep understanding of ethics, laws, transparency and societal concerns. It’s all about building trust and becoming the tech heroes of the AI world. – Pablo Junco, Microsoft
15. Understanding Target Users
I strongly believe that tech leaders need to know their ideal customer profiles or target users as deeply as they know themselves. They need to thoroughly and constantly educate themselves on who they are building tech for, how those people use it, what they wish to achieve with it and more. If a tech leader feels as though they have become distant from their target users, they need to check back in and get reacquainted with them. – Laxman Papineni, Outplay
16. Delegation
For any tech leader, knowing the art of delegation is essential. It’s about looking deeply at what you’re dealing with and being able to have an open, honest conversation with yourself to identify where you need help (and what kind of help that is) and then address that need. It always helps to practice 360-degree feedback with your teams and with yourself. – Vidal Bharath, Bramble Energy Ltd.
17. Change Management
Regardless of the technology we delve into, mastering change management is paramount. Without effective change management, even the most promising tech implementations can falter. – Mani Padisetti, Digital Armour
18. Customer Empathy
Tech leaders should prioritize customer empathy in their ongoing education. Really understanding customer needs and experiences is essential for effective innovation and delivering products that truly resonate with users. A focus on empathy enhances the ability to evolve to meet ever-changing customer expectations and fosters more customer-centric decision-making, ensuring long-term success. – Rick Kelly, Fuel Cycle
19. Cloud Operations
The topic of cloud operations is not “new,” but with so many organizations adopting multicloud strategies, it’s more important than ever for tech leaders to understand how to manage and optimize a holistic cloud strategy. From security implications to cost savings to how to use generative AI to create efficiencies, cloud skills and strategies must be continuously honed to ensure business value. – Aaron Skonnard, Pluralsight
20. Writing And Presentation Skills
Having impactful writing and presentation skills is important for tech leaders who need to influence and convince executive teams and boards to continue to invest in technology. Many decision makers aren’t subject matter experts in technology, so getting your key points across as succinctly as possible to support a decision is essential. – Tara Waters, Ashurst LLP
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