Fostering Innovation: How to Build an Amazing IT Team

by Andrew Laudato

In this book, the author provides a detailed and prescriptive advice on how to run an IT department best. The author does so with the understanding that there's more than one way to accomplish that goal. Your approach should vary based on the company's size, the company's plans, the CEO's style, and the team's strength. External factors, including the economy, the state of the market, customer demand, and advancements in technology -- all impact how you should lead.

Staying true to your style and beliefs is vital to being an open and honest leader. Don't read this book and then walk into the office on Monday morning a new and improved you. Continuous improvement concepts apply to our personal development as much as they do to our teams.

If your goal is to transform IT by pivoting to Agile and DevOps, you need to understand where your company is on its journey and adapt accordingly. IT leaders need to be agile with a little a before they can be Agile with a big A. You will find the agile and lean principles woven throughout the text. Although the author is a staunch Agile advocate, this is not an Agile book.

This book is written in plain language, making it accessible and hopefully enjoyable for non-technical readers. This book will provide insights for anyone in an IT leadership role and anyone who works closely with IT leaders. In today's digital age, that's just about everyone.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2022

About the author

Andrew Laudato started his career as a computer programmer and quickly realized he was as passionate about business as he is about technology. The intersection of business and technology is where innovation happens and where people and companies succeed.

After spending more than 20 years as a CIO/CTO, Laudato currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe. In this role, he leads operations across digital commerce, information technology, enterprise project management, supply chain, strategic sourcing, and commercialization.

Laudato is a member of the CNBC technology executive council, the New York City CIO executive council, and a founding member of the George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation. In addition, he serves on the board of Lideranca, a private company focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Learn more at andrewlaudato.com

Reviews

[Andrew Laudato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author so I'm biased.

[Katie Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book and a fun read!

This book should be a must read for anyone in, or considering, an IT leadership role. Great stories and real life examples of both success and failure.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a relatively new addition to a modern business’s C-suite. However, despite being recent, in an era of digital innovation, it’s become an essential one. Instead of offloading work onto employees, most companies try to offload some of the work onto the IT department. IT specialists, the builders of technology, usually cannot meld their products into business-ready deliverables. That’s where the CIO comes in, to lead tech efforts towards a consistent direction benefitting the bottom line. It’s a difficult job that straddles technical work and business, and there aren’t a ton of good training grounds for this role. However, in this book, Laudato adds to the growing literature about how to build and lead an impactful IT team.

The subtitle reads that this will tell you how to “build” an IT team. That’s a nod to the fact that the CIO is wed mainly to hiring and developing the IT team, which actually does the work. The CIO, however, is judged by the results of others’ work. This managerial tightrope requires technical competence yet a knack in picking the right people for the jobs. This book seeks to fill in the gaps of knowledge so that common mistakes are avoided from day one.

Many aspire to do this office – especially because of perks, like salary and prestige – but few take the time to equip and train themselves properly. Laudato, relying on his years of IT leadership and selflessly and honestly relating many of his mistakes, wants to teach the next generation how to do better and achieve more. He brings in a perspective that is attuned to today’s era of remote work.

While containing some theory, this book is practical in nature. Laudato sprinkles anecdotes from his own career and looks to develop readers’ skills more than developing a thesis. There are only a few good books in this genre, and this recent book (published in 2022) will add to that literary body. He even covers how to handle the job market and to impress your company when you are newly hired!

Those who deal with management and leadership issues pertaining to IT will find this book helpful. While specifically designed towards those aspiring to become a CIO, this book contains lessons relevant to leadership through technology more generally. Most of us technologists (I am an Application Developer by trade) can benefit from becoming better equipped about how to help our company’s leadership through understanding their job. Rather than gunning for a job, reading Laudato’s insights can help us all to become a well-rounded worker.

[Arun Narayanaswamy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a mix bag this. Is this one of the most informative books on how an IT industry works - yes!? But then why do u give this a 2 star? That’s mostly because it has absolutely no relevance to the title of the book. The book covers mostly operational aspects and in some ways how a tech leader needs to operate, but except for 1-2 pages it’s got nothing to do with innovation. It’s a bit worse than a click bait of a book to read something which is irrelevant to the title.
Still a good read if you are a fresher trying to get to understand a leaders perspective (you will anyway learn it through the journey of getting to a leader)

[Brian Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like his second level of Laudato's Hierarchy of Needs, Laudato has delivered a "Lean and Efficient" discussion for his fellow CIOs, aspiring CIOs, and anyone else looking for insight into the mind of a successful CIO. This is a great read with practical and effective advice for anyone looking to build an amazing IT team.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide for aspiring CIO's. Being a CIO covers a lot of ground and Andy touches on all of the important topics. The core idea behind getting to innovation, The Laudato Hierarchy of needs is a great concept, simple to understand but it has depth. I like that the author stresses learning and indirectly stresses don't get complacent. Definitely worth reading.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can think of no better guidebook for someone looking to become an IT Leader, or any IT Leader looking to build an excellent team. This book combines both strategic and tactical advice in an easy to understand way. Built off real-world experience, and good old-fashioned common sense, this book addresses all aspects of IT excellence and should be required reading for any IT professional.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for everyone that is a CIO or CTO.

There are many impactful IT leadership concepts in this book. Some I use now with great effect and others that I plan to take from this book and apply to leading my team forward.

This book should be required reading for leading an IT team.

[Artur Ejsmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone aspiring to become CIO or CTO.

[Roy Fraticelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Account Executive in IT, I deal with tech solutions daily, but Laudato's "Fostering Innovation" reminded me that it's the people behind the tech that truly drive innovation. This book is a goldmine! It emphasizes the importance of team dynamics while offering actionable strategies to elevate IT teams. A refreshing read that perfectly balances technical insight with a human touch. A must read for anyone in IT!