Kurt Motamedi on Preparing First-Time IT Team Leaders with InformationWeek Page Title

Every IT team needs a leader. One of the most challenging tasks any CIO faces is finding the right person to head an IT project team and then preparing that leader for success. 

“An effective team leader is skillful in facilitating discussions among team members, clarifying viewpoints, and drawing positive closure of discussions,” said Kurt Motamedi, a strategy and leadership professor at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School.

Most IT teams consist of experts, each grounded in their own specific expertise. “A team is most effective when viewpoints are presented in a collaborative fashion and the team leader can acknowledge different views and expertise while driving toward a synergistic conclusion,” Motamedi explains.

An IT leader candidate should also show signs of team-building skills. Building relationships fosters communication and influence, which are vital to becoming an impactful team leader.

Read the full article on InformationWeek.com.