Ideas for technology leaders
Explore recent news, awards, and stories from the heart of technology leadership education.
All posts
The essence of collaboration in tech leadership revolves around creating a culture where a common mission, openness, complementary strengths, and collective problem-solving are the pillars. Each team member, with a clear understanding of the overarching goals, contributes uniquely towards achieving breakthroughs.
Read article
A technical leader bridges the gap between technical teams and business objectives. Unlike general managers, they possess strong technical expertise and can therefore guide engineers and developers. In contrast to tech specialists, however, they have strong leadership and communication skills. The role comes with the…
Read article
An Engineering Manager (EM) at TechGlobal Ltd seeks advice on improving the working relationship with a Principal Engineer (PE) who, despite having extensive experience and a strong principled approach, poses challenges in team interactions and project progress.
Read article
This article explores the critical role design thinking plays in modern technology leadership and offers steps to switch to it
Read article
Visionary leaders possess an innate ability to predict trends, envision revolutionary products, or foresee shifts in consumer behaviour long before they become apparent to others.
Read article
Strong tech leadership provides a compelling vision and roadmap, improving team focus and motivation. Combined with a culture of trust and open communication, it creates a high level of psychological safety for the team. In turn, such a team is more open to risk-taking, innovation and honest discussion of challenges.…
Read article
AgileX Solutions, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) company encounters a significant challenge when its non-technical Chief Executive Officer (CEO) mandates the use of quantitative metrics to gauge the engineering team’s performance. This requirement starkly contrasts with the perspective of the Head of Engineering (HoE), who advocates for a more nuanced, holistic evaluation approach….
Read article
We summarise the duality of influence and what wielding influence as a leader means from the perspective of responsibility.
Read article
This case study spotlights the need for harmonising business drive and technical stability, managing technical debt, fostering team resilience and responding effectively to crises. It invites readers to contribute ideas for better CEO-CTO alignment and ends as a parable warning of the dangers of strategic misalignment in tech companies.
Read article
A minute-guide on how tech leaders can foster a Mentoring culture to accelerate personal, professional and company's growth
Read article
Mia, an Engineering Manager, has led her team through several successful product launches, earning praise for their creativity and dedication. However, a challenge from senior management casts a shadow over these achievements. The team’s hard work is starting to take its toll, not due to Mia’s leadership but from the VP of Engineering’s intense pressure…
Read article
In a rapidly growing technology company, the engineering, product and platform teams exhibit significantly different senses of urgency regarding project delivery and innovation. This misalignment leads to delays, frustration, inefficient workflows and, ultimately, loss of a competitive edge. Our Global CTO Community offers actionable advice.
Read article
Members of our Global CTO Community give their opinion on the best choice(s)/practice(s) to manage a corporate website
Read article
The CTO of a start-up is facing a challenge with a Senior Engineer who, despite a promising start and strong technical skills, is delivering work far slower than expected. This situation has arisen after replacing a previous bad hire and deciding how to “delicately” proceed. Our Community offers advice.
Read article
91% of global tech leaders identified tech debt as a 'major concern'. So in this article, we take a deep dive into tech debt with contributions from five senior technology leaders across the CTO Academy community. They will provide their perspective on the problem and potential mitigation strategies towards the…
Read article
An organisation has embarked on a new journey, setting cross-departmental objectives that necessitate seamless collaboration among the subteam leaders from different departments. A team lead, Anisha and her PM counterpart, Gabriella, are at the forefront of this challenge. But they are in conflict with each other.
Read article
🙌 Helping us keep everything on track is our man from Brazil, celebrating 12 months with CTO Academy … Here's a spotlight on Marco Aurélio Zimmermann
Read article
In this post, we explain a Field CTO role, how it differs from a traditional CTO role, what are the job prospects and the average salary.
Read article
Three months ago, Justin embarked on a pivotal journey as the new Head of Engineering at a startup, following the departure of the previous CTO. Commanding a team of eight, encompassing software developers and testers, Justin’s experience as a former team leader had primed him for this role. Yet, the path to leadership is often…
Read article
This week one of our favourite community voices here at CTO Academy … spotlight on Serdar Mustafa 🙌
Read article
When a business becomes over-reliant on one or two key developers and they become aware of it. It leads to a form of ‘developer blackmail’ that makes managing developers extremely difficult.
Read article
It’s time to celebrate one of our unsung heroes … a spotlight on our MBA Course Manager, Natalia Welner
Read article
Learn everything about the IT Manager role, job description and responsibilities and see a case study of managing a new project from scratch.
Read article
🙌 This week we turn the spotlight on our 2nd co-founder, Jason Noble ...
Read article
For the modern CTO, knowledge generally comes wrapped in three forms … Technical This is often about building a T-shaped skill set, with a general awareness of different technologies, alongside a deep understanding of at least one. This helps you to sharpen your BS antenna about what does and doesn’t “feel” right.…
Read article
Five seasoned technology leaders answer a series of questions about their experiences managing mental health issues of their employees.
Read article
We talked to a number of high-profile CTOs to understand the value of a CTO in funding processes. Their perspectives provide the true answer.
Read article
We dive deep into the heating debate on pros and cons of AI, tackling all the dangers and challenges it brings to CTOs in near future.
Read article
Information about CTO Academy Membership Package with a little background of our journey that has, ultimately, led to this unique feature.
Read article
In this post, we explain a CTO job description, key responsibilities and qualifications of start-up, fast-growth, enterprise and Group CTOs.
Read article
In this post, Jason Noble, Academy’s Chief Technology Officer, explains the design of highly relevant CTO KPIs and shows how to use them.
Read article
Here we talk about tech teams, price's law and what should be the optimum size for a tech team.
Read article
Tech Leadership in So Many Words...#20. Andrew deciphers "Confidence" in so many words and reveals the essence of it in business and life.
Read article
Detailed insight into the organisational structure of a Chief Technology Office with roles, responsibilities, hierarchies and best practices.
Read article
In this blog post, we are exploring the CTO salary range; separately for the United States and the United Kingdom, private and public firms.
Read article
Explaining CTO vs CPO roles, the areas of intersection but also proven strategies for effective collaboration and conflict resolution
Read article
In this article, we are explaining the practical side of CTO responsibilities in start-ups and fast-growth companies.
Read article
This post explains the Interim CTO responsibilities, the onboarding process, tenure length and the transfer of powers to a permanent CTO.
Read article
In this article, we are a) examining the most critical challenges of the Remote CTO role and, more importantly, b) providing practical solutions.
Read article
How to most effectively transform a disparate group of individuals into a high-performance team capable of achieving that common goal?
Read article
Learn what is a Deputy CTO, what the path to becoming one looks like and how to best prepare for a job interview.
Read article
“Perfect is the enemy of good” - Voltaire I am not and never have been a perfectionist, something of a mixed blessing in the past. Some start-up projects went out too soon, were half-baked from the start and met with the underwhelming results they deserved. Whilst other projects went out too soon, but hit the ground…
Read article
In this blog post, you will learn what makes a good CTO from the perspective of experienced and successful technology leaders and their CEOs.
Read article
Find out the most common ways CTOs get into a board of directors and familiarise yourself with the process of each.
Read article
A part-time CTO is a technology expert who works on a part-time or consulting basis for a company. The aim is to develop and implement the company's technology strategy and oversee all aspects of its technology operations and product development.
Read article
In this post, we are explaining the role and responsibilities of a chief technology officer considering the size of the organisation.
Read article
Keep an eye on your health by learning the art of marginal gains
Read article
To maintain your CTO rock star status in a company, refrain from saying any of these 11 things to your CEO.
Read article
We look into a tech leadership skill - humility, to quickly demonstrate its importance from the perspective of experience and practice
Read article
Unprecedented advances and transformative trends are reshaping leadership in technology sector. As the rapid pace of technological innovation continues, the tech industry faces unique challenges and opportunities. The intersection of artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven insights demands visionaries who…
Read article
When you’re a leader, motivation is a two-sided coin. One side is Personal Motivation and what’s driving you. The other is Team Motivation and what’s driving them.
Read article
A Fractional CTO is a chief technology officer who provides on-demand services to a company or organization. In other words, it is a freelance contract that implies working for a fraction of the time and cost and just on the part of the project as opposed to full- or part-time CTO positions.
Read article
The Digital MBA for Technology Leaders has been formally recognized and certified by the Continuing Professional Development Certification Service (CPDUK) as “conforming to continuing professional development principles”, recognizing both the high standard of professional training and exceptional value being…
Read article
If there's one constant in our lives, it’s change. So we look at three key areas of change you will have to negotiate in your journey as a technology leader
Read article
Managing corporate politics is never easy for technology leaders but in some organisations can be a fact of life. We look at where you should focus your energy in dealing with this issue.
Read article
Shaping strategy is a key role for any Chief Technology Officer and so it's crucial for you to create the environment that gives you the space and time to become an effective strategist for your organization.
Read article
Delegation is one of the hardest skills for technology leaders to master.
Read article
Moving into technology leadership roles requires a fundamental change of mindset from being one of the team, to leading the team.
Read article
Leadership vulnerability it allows team members to feel more comfortable being open and honest with their own concerns, and that will only enhance the team dynamic and their commitment to you and to the project.
Read article
A leader is someone who draws others by his or her voice, actions, or choices.You have responsibilities and power as a leader that impact directly on people’s lives
Read article
We launched CTO Academy in 2019 and work with technology leaders to help them build the leadership and broader skill set that enables them to achieve the career impact they want. So it's great to hear from our customers about their progress.
Read article
The Global CTO Survey comes out every year and brings us great insight about what matters to the CTO in 2022.
Read article
The unwritten laws of engineering was written in 1944 but remains relevant to tech leaders in 2021
Read article
The leader’s job isn’t to have all the ideas. It’s to make sure all the ideas are heard and that the best one wins.
Read article
We have all worked in places where the team doesn’t trust the leader. Where the leader doesn’t trust the team. It rarely ends well.
Read article
What if you could anticipate every problem, issue or obstacle in life before they occurred? Effective tech leaders are able to anticipate more than most.
Read article
What empathy is and should be ... is understanding an employee’s struggles, appreciating a person’s point of view and engaging in a healthy debate that builds to a better solution.
Read article
CTO Academy Launches Scholarship Programme in Partnership with Women Who Code promoting women in technology careers
Read article
To become a successful leader you need to acknowledge and understand how perception affects your relationship with other people and from that, your ability to lead.
Read article
With 2000 near 5 star reviews, this course is changing the executive leadership landscape for technology leaders.
Read article
To be an effective leader you need to acquire the skill of deep listening. Here is a Zulu principle that might help.
Read article
There is no doubt that cybersecurity in companies is more important than ever. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts cybercrime will cost the world in excess of $6 trillion annually by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015
Read article
I had experienced efficient code review practices before, so the question led me to articulate what had worked in the past.
Read article
Being a CTO is much easier (or at least less challenging) when working on something you love rather than a motivation driven by less intrinsic factors, pressures or rewards.
Read article
What makes the difference in leaders? Curiosity stands out amongst a leading quality ...
Read article
What does a CTO need from the CEO? What does a CTO think the CEO needs from them?
Read article
What will stop you getting that dream CTO job? Our Head of Careers has some ideas ...
Read article
Find out what is the average CTO salary in India, what are the key factors that influence earnings and what can you do to increase them.
Read article
Critical thinking skills are vital in leadership role. One needs to be able to reason, understand and solve problems.
Read article
Start your journey to becoming a CTO with these 7 steps that will help you become a highly effective technology leader
Read article
We live in a dynamic era one in which a new trend today can become a way of life tomorrow. Those who don’t adapt to these changes are at risk of falling significantly behind. It can be worse for organisations because those who don't adapt are at risk of perishing.
Read article
One of the most important tech leadership skills is the ability to delegate. You need to trust your team and give them the autonomy that drives innovation. It's time for you to let it go ...
Read article
I have tried to detail in this blog specific changes in my role as I took on this new status as CTO and the challenges I personally faced. This week I've been reflecting on how my life looked before and since.
Read article
What is your expectation of an effective leader? Confident. Knowledgeable. Charismatic. Good Orator. Natural Leader. Inspiring. Expert. But in addition, how about lonely and/or isolated?
Read article
Managing change has always been at the core of a technology leader's job description but whereas 10-15 years ago the focus was on tech change, today it’s more likely to be people and culture change that a tech leader has to deal with.
Read article
It’s not only computer systems that need a firewall but anyone in a tech leadership position needs to build one for themselves.
Read article
As a CTO there's multiple projects to juggle with on a day-to-day basis so you need to master the art of context switching.
Read article
An article exploring the difference between thermostats and thermometers and how it applies to leadership and the teams we lead
Read article
CTO jobs are pretty nebulous at best, what a CTO does is ill defined and never well understood, we're lots of different things to lots of different people.
Read article
Creativity has helped many people through the pandemic but what's the science behind when that creative moment arrives?
Read article
CTO Academy looks at why leadership training and support is particularly important for tech leaders in fast growth companies.
Read article
Discover how our hiring strategy evolved to support growth, focusing on talent, team dynamics and innovative practices that drive success.
Read article
Owen is based in New Zealand and has been a tech leader for more than a decade and for 6 years was a chief architect at Xero. His tech expertise and strategic oversight is helping CTOs and senior leadership teams around the world to achieve growth within a software engineering heavy company. He also shares our…
Read article
Meet Jim Mortensen, a key member of our team at CTO Academy. Discover his expertise, vision, and contributions that drive innovation and success in technology leadership.
Read article
To be successful as a technical leader you need an exceptional technical team but the good news as a leader, is that you own the responsibility to build and grow that team.
Read article
CTO Academy collaborated with The School of Code for a presentation on a career in tech and leadership development
Read article
Suddenly as I stepped into a tech leadership role i was facing unknowns where my decisions would impact directly on my team and how effective they and I could be
Read article
Managing a negative team member is never easy so this article looks at how it can be handled.
Read article
Active listening is very different to hearing and it is what differentiates an effective leader from an average manager.
Read article
A lot of us have spent 2020 adapting to the new normal and a lot of us have found remote working for the first time. I’ve been there for a few years and worked in organisations that have embraced remote first mentality before it was cool required by a pandemic. Here are ten things my teams work on when working remotely
Read article