The Rise of the Technical CEO

The role of the CEO is one that is constantly changing—a fact that I am intimately aware of as the second-ever CEO of Rocket Software. As the lines between technology and business become increasingly blurred, it’s critical that leaders have both the technical and business prowess to drive positive business outcomes that lead to long-term success.

In the past, most leaders had a specific set of skills that led to them being in charge. First, it was inventors—they created the technology, so it seemed obvious that they would be the ones to build the business around it. But having an inventor’s mind didn’t always translate to business growth – so when the inventors began to retire, their successors were largely people with management backgrounds who had the ability to scale businesses. From there, sales and services leaders were the next generation of CEOs—their predecessors had built the infrastructure, and now their job was to capture the attention of audiences.

Today’s environment is a unique one for leaders. Businesses cannot afford for leadership to be focused on...Continue reading