Great Leaders Are Ambidextrous, Are You?

By:
Melvin Greer
Managing Director, Greer Institute

 There are many important characteristics of great leaders. Team players, good listeners and visionary are clear hallmarks. But being ambidextrous is required now more than ever. Ambidextrous leadership is a balanced approach where flexible leadership behaviors that lead to better business outcomes are the rule. 

Ambidexterity is the ability to engage in innovation (exploration) and operation (exploitation) equally well. But these are two very different yet complementary leadership behaviors.

• Exploitation: Reducing variance, adherence to rules, alignment and risk avoidance  
• Exploration: Increasing variance, experimentation and failure, value alternatives and risk taking

And why is ambidextrous leadership required now more than ever? Leadership is in crises and leaders are facing an increasing set of complex issues. This crisis manifests itself in a lack of employee engagement and retention along with lower market share and business performance. According to 2013 Ketchum Leadership study there is an unambiguous crisis of confidence in leaders.

Cloud Computing Advantages and Disadvantages

What is Cloud Computing & what are its advantages & disadvantages. Join us for this installment of our Technical Insight series as expert Learning Tree instructor Kevin Jackson examines the following questions- How can Cloud Computing help your business and do you need to be concerned about Cloud Computing security? Learn more at http://www.LearningTree.com/WhatisCloud.

( This content is being syndicated through multiple channels. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of GovCloud Network, GovCloud Network Partners or any other corporation or organization.)

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( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - © Copyright Kevin L. Jackson 2012)

Ingram Micro Honors Veterans with a $10,000 Gift to Veterans 360

On Veteran's Day, hundreds of military veterans, active-duty service members and retirees were recognized and celebrated along with family members at the third annual Ingram Micro Veterans Day ceremonies held across three Ingram Micro locations from Santa Ana, California to Indianapolis and Buffalo.

In honor of veterans everywhere, Ingram Micro and its associates collected and donated more than $10,000 to the Veterans 360 organization that helps recently-separated combat veterans transition to civilian life through a program of support that helps them develop professional and interpersonal skills. In addition, a donation of $2,500 was made to fStop Warrior Project, a Tug McGraw Foundation that provides resources and hands-on support for wounded warriors through creative self-expression using the art of digital photography.

GovCloud Network is a proud sponsor and supporter of Veteran's 360 in their mission to provide young, recently-separated combat veterans with a program of support that will help them develop the professional and interpersonal

What Are You Waiting For? The Cloud Era is HERE!

by Kevin L. Jackson

(This post first appeared at http://blog.learningtree.com)

The revolutionary business aspects of cloud excite me every day, but the business diversity is even more exciting. This fact really struck me after teaching my last Learning Tree Cloud Computing Introduction class in New York City. I’ve been in the regular rotation here for four months now and have taught three classes during that time. The chart below breaks out the students in these classes by industry.

Learning Tree Intro to Cloud Computing Students by Industry (Jackson 2014)

The heavy US Government slant can of course be attributed to my northern Virginia residency, but the Federal Government has indeed taken on cloud in a big way and the educational focus I’ve experienced from them is commendable. The number of other industries seeking cloud knowledge is also enlightening. As I’ve said many times before, cloud computing is not about technology. It represents a business revolution that is now being universally embraced. In spite of the industry diversity, however, student experiences that drive them to my class and the questions they ask are very similar.
Their stories mostly involve declarations from senior executives or business managers about the imperative to adopt cloud. Marching orders directing an expeditious transformation are then promulgated with little or no understanding of what the undertaking involves. Senior IT managers then show up in the Intro to cloud class asking:

• Is cloud secure?
• Which cloud is best?
• How much will this cost?
• What do I need to do to make this happen now?

Schizophrenic About Cloud?

By Kevin L. Jackson

This week Dell released its first Global Technology Adoption Index (GTAI). This survey of more than 2,000 global organizations took a close look at how organizations are truly using security, cloud, mobility and big data to drive success. While the data collected from this effort should put to rest any doubts about the value of cloud computing, it also calls into question our collective mental state. Are half of us schizophrenic?

The survey data showed that 97 percent of organizations surveyed use or plan to use cloud. This high percentage is not surprising given that the data also showed a strong correlation between cloud use and company growth. Of those using cloud, 72 percent of organizations surveyed experienced 6 percent growth or more in the last three years, with just 4 percent experiencing zero or negative growth. This is in sharp contrast with companies not using cloud, where just 24 percent have growth rates of 6 percent or more, and 37 percent experienced either zero or negative growth. So with this overwhelmingly positive evidence supporting rapid adoption of cloud, why do 52% of the IT decision-makers surveyed still consider security a barrier for expanding cloud computing use?