Learning Through Leadership by Matthew Weigelt

All business leaders spend time in the trenches of mid-level management before moving up the senior ranks. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have to be a purgatory for the up-and-coming executive. The middle of an organization is where senior leaders learn the basics of business life.

Jay Kalath, vice president and general manager for national security operations and chief technology officer at Array Information Technology, talked about takeaways for other mid-level managers.

FOSE: What are some lessons you’ve learned in managing as a mid-career-level employee while still being managed by senior executives?

Kalath: In a small or mid-size company, there are really no multi-level management structures. There are no chiefs and Indians. Everyone needs to pitch in at all levels to be successful including the management team.

If management is willing to sit side-by-side with their team to get the tasks done, this will create mutual respect, willingness to follow, and a desire to be a part of the company’s success.

FOSE: What is your role for mentoring in your organization?

Kalath: The best way to mentor is to lead by example, and my approach is to have a positive attitude about anything that comes our way. If your team sees you stress, pass blame or not share workload, then they too will react accordingly. How you handle the situation and how you proceed going forward is what people truly remember.

From a mentoring standpoint, I always have an open-door policy for anyone in the organization to come and discuss whatever is on their mind.

FOSE: For newer employees, how can they establish a career path in today’s workforce?

Kalath: There are several ways and resources that are out there for new and even existing employees to help develop their career paths including:

• Working with their HR and management team to understand what corporate training programs.

• Define a development path, including possible job-rotation opportunities internally and at project sites.

• Leverage non-profit organization, like AFCEA, seminars, networking events and mentor/mentoree matchmaking sessions.

If there are no formalized mentor programs established within your company, ask someone you feel would be a great mentor to be one for you. Most find this an honor, and they will work with you.

Hear more on leading from the middle, mentorship and tactics to help build your career this Wednesday, May 15, in room 146C of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during FOSE’s Future Government Technology Leaders Program (FGTL).

The Critical Importance of Staying at the Cutting-Edge of New Technology

The increasing sophistication and frequency of cyber threats makes it more critical than ever for government technology professionals to stay at the cutting-edge of product and technology solutions. Regardless of whether your challenges include transitioning to the cloud, mitigating cybersecurity threats, implementing the Digital Government Strategy or dealing with a number of other daunting tasks – it can be very difficult to stay attuned to all the latest and greatest developments.

Fortunately for all of us, FOSE 2013 – the nation’s premier event for government technology professionals looking to discover the most recent advancements in technology – is FREE for ALL government employees and taking place next week. For those of you who have attended previous FOSE conferences you know that you will find the products and solutions you need to accomplish your agency’s mission successfully.

For those who haven’t yet attended FOSE, you can look forward to discovering the value of seeing, touching and experiencing all the latest products and solutions from hundreds of the leading suppliers from around the world in one place at one time. You will be able to meet with technology giants such as Dell, Microsoft, CDWG, Blackberry, and NetApp as well as Trend Micro, Feith Systems, Autonomy, BOXLIGHT and a host of other global leaders who will be among the 200+ companies unveiling the latest technology solutions.

Taking place May 14-16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, FOSE 2013 will provide you with a platform to meet one-on-one with some of the leading government technology suppliers from around the world. There will be a wealth of products and technologies on display, ranging from IT solutions to security products and services.

The FOSE exhibit hall will showcase everything from static and working displays to hands-on demos, and best practice presentations—covering all aspects of:

• Biometrics
• Big Data/Big Data Analytics and Data Centers & Data Storage
• Business Intelligence/DSS, Business AV Solutions and Application Software
• Cloud Computing & Virtualization and Mobile Computing
• Cybersecurity
• Enterprise content Management (ECM)
• Infrastructure Management
• Internet & Web Services, Networking & Communications and Wireless Communication
• Records & Content Management/Compliance
• And more!

In addition to the extensive exhibit hall, FOSE will also feature:

• 6 Keynote presentations, 7 Workshops and 30+ Solutions Sessions – Attendees will gain skills and valuable insights from key industry visionaries about the latest innovations for government technology professionals.
• FOSE Central – The FOSE Central booth located in the exhibit hall is where attendees can take advantage of the free educational opportunities, device charging stations and the social media lounge.
• App Arcade – Attending government professionals will have the opportunity to test drive some of the latest apps developed for government by government as well as meet the inventors.
• 27 Government Tech Talks – Get tips and tricks for future implementation success within their agency or organization from technology road warriors.
• FIRST @ FOSE – Hear from FOSE exhibitors as they introduce their latest products and services or share breaking case study results.

Click here for a full list of FOSE 2013 Exhibitors

FOSE, the largest, most comprehensive event serving the government technology community, is now FREE for all Government Employees and held concurrently with GovSec, the Government Security Conference and Expo. FOSE is conveniently located in our Nation’s capital, making it easier for you to spend a day, or two with us… For more information or to register to attend FOSE visit www.fose.com.

4 Realities for Anyone Starting their own Company – By Matthew Weigelt

Naveen Krishnamurthy, founder and CEO of Riva Solutions, now understands two realities about the life of an entrepreneur. Being the owner of his IT management and consulting firm is not sexy, and it’s even lonely.

“It’s me, myself and I,” he told me in a conversation about his life as an entrepreneur. He has to remain focused on his goals and continue to move forward.

Krishnamurthy has worked at major firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton and CACI. He joined a small venture about eight years ago. The experience allowed him to learn the lessons early on of small business ownership, inspiring him to launch Riva Solutions in 2009.

With his company now, he said, “I’m taking a second bite out of the same apple and it’s so much better the second time around.”

So what has Krishnamurthy learned?

He shared five lessons for success for businesses in the federal marketplace.

1. The life of an entrepreneur is far from glamorous. He spends about half of his time on human resources, run-of-the-mill legal issues, and accounting, which are just as important as the front-office sales. Without good operations, the company will have problems with employees, the law, and the IRS.

2. A manager and a leader are two different roles and don’t often mix. A manager has a heavy hand in immediate operations, while leadership provides vision and then entrusts its implementation to the people around them.

3. A company should not “game-ify” the system. A small firm should not play up the fact they have a small-business size status to persuade federal agencies who have goals to meet. Instead, small businesses should highlight this as an added benefit to the quality of the company’s work.

4. An entrepreneur should attend networking events and hand out business cards. Krishnamurthy said he has to have the mind frame for interaction. He goes to at least one networking event each week and meets one new company.

These are just a few of the lessons that young entrepreneurs will share at FOSE. Krishnamurthy will be a part of a panel of other entrepreneurs who will share more life lessons about business ownership. They have offered to speak honestly about lessons learned, wins, losses and advice they received, both good and bad on Wednesday, May 15, at 11:05 AM in room 146C of the Convention Center.

For more information about Naveen Krishnamurthy’s session or other Future Government Technology Leaders sessions at FOSE visit www.fose.com

Creating a Winning Game Plan with Joe Theismann at FOSE 2013

We’re sure most of you would agree that effective leadership is critical in ensuring that we are accomplishing our missions. At the same time, it is important that we are team players pursuing the same goals to achieve success. Unfortunately, it is not always clear when is the most effective times to lead and when is it best to follow.

These are just two of the reasons Joe Theismann’s presentation at FOSE 2013 will be so valuable to attendees at the nation’s premier event for government technology professionals May 14-16 in Washington, DC. As a very successful entrepreneur and former star quarterback for the Washington Redskins, Theismann will provide important insights into the skills that all attendees can use to better understand how to help their organizations perform more effectively.

Entitled Managing to Win!, his inspiring keynote presentation will highlight the importance and understanding of good management and effective leadership in a way that aligns his famed career as an NFL quarterback with challenges the attendees face on a day-to-day basis. Based on the foundation of motivating audiences to take risks in order to perform beyond what they normally do within their organization, this captivating presentation highlights the critical fact that ‘leadership is not a game of follow the leader’. Throughout this keynote, Theismann will stress that good leadership is about “PEOPLE—listening to them… trusting them… and motivating individuals to take ownership of team goals”.

Click here for more information about Managing to Win! By Joe Theismann

FOSE, the largest, most comprehensive event serving the government technology community, is now FREE for all Government Employees and held concurrently with GovSec, the Government Security Conference and Expo. FOSE is conveniently located in our Nation’s capital, making it easier for you to spend a day, or two with us… For more information or to register to attend FOSE visit www.fose.com.

Digital Government Strategies: Part Deux

Following on the heels of our recent blog about Digital Government Strategy (DGS), we just came across an interesting blog from Pat Florenza on GovLoop.com entitled Exploring How Agencies Are Crafting Digital Government Strategies. The blog examines in more detail the important aspects of a digital government that many government and non-government agencies and organizations could find very informative.

Florenza explains that one aspect of a digital government involves a “keen understanding of the philosophy that drove the creation of the federal government’s Digital Government Strategy”. With the way mobile technology is progressing it seems apparent that the government will need to implement mobile solutions in order stay on pace with changing technologies. However, we must also remember that a digital government is not any one single tool or solution – it is a combination of devices and various technologies. As the DGS sets out to assist the government in becoming “more agile in technology adoption in a safe and secure way”, GovLoop states this will enable a stronger government structure that will help to improve service for citizens.

The blog also explains how critical it is for the public sector to have the ability to leverage big data. As there is more and more data being generated from a number of government and non-government agencies, data is increasingly becoming a more important source for making key decisions. Florenza explains that with government data – “the public sector, entrepreneurs, private sector, and all stakeholders can be empowered to develop mobile applications, improve a program, or work collaboratively to solve problems faced by the public sector”.

The GovLoop blog also reports the results of a survey of government employees on their response to the digital government strategy.

• When asked ‘How have you responded to the Digital Government Strategy?’ – Some of the top actions mentioned were: Update dot gov domain guidance — 32%; Tools and guidance for measuring performance and customer satisfaction – 40% and Guidelines for improving digital services – 45%.
• When asked – What tools agencies are using in their digital strategy? – Some of the responses include: Mobile – 76%; Website Upgrades – 76%; Social Media – 71%

Recognizing the importance of leveraging data and the Digital Government Strategy, FOSE 2013 will feature the Big Data & Business Intelligence Track, May 14-15 in Washington, DC. As the nation’s premier event for government technology professionals, the track at FOSE will focus on creating an understanding of leveraging and the implementation of big data.

Click the following link to view the full GovLoop blog: Exploring How Agencies Are Crafting Digital Government Strategies

Click the following link to learn more about the FOSE Big Data & Business Intelligence Track

FOSE, the largest, most comprehensive event serving the government technology community, is now FREE for all Government Employees and held concurrently with GovSec, the Government Security Conference and Expo. FOSE is conveniently located in our Nation’s capital, making it easier for you to spend a day, or two with us… For more information or to register to attend FOSE visit www.fose.com.