There you are, sitting on a shelf longing to be bought ...appreciated ...squeezed. What would be the best way to sell you? ...based on some utility to the buyer (tooth whitening or breath freshening)? ...based on some special intrinsic qualities (all natural! minty)? ...or based on no-nonsense practicalities (popular name brand price vs. store brand smart buy)?

This is no idle exercise. Most IT executives are so wound up in their jobs, they rarely think about how they are perceived by others (especially management), how they present themselves to their fellow IT executives, or just what it is about the job that motivates them to get up in the morning. Yet, if they had to hire someone for a critical team, they themselves would make the decision based on these same facets of the candidate. And with so many other tubes of toothpaste sitting on the shelf, not having the proper appeal can mean the difference between inventory that sells out, or sits there unsold and gathering dust.

So, what differentiates you from all the other tubes on the same shelf? What is it about you, that would make you hire you, if you were doing the hiring? ...your utility as a change manger /turn-around expert? ...your intrinsic qualities as a charismatic leader or effective communicator? ...your practical side, as someone who knows how to manage the numbers? In the end, it all comes down to branding.

Technology and business are constantly moving forward at a rapid, relentless pace. To keep up we race to accomplish more and more, faster and faster, with ever greater "agility." However, could we unknowingly be introducing an element of risk?

While there are obvious benefits to staying ahead of the game, is the price we pay too high?

If life and work move so fast they careen almost out of our control, are we "IT leaders" and our staff able to: