Beyond the Stack: Human Centered Leadership for Technology Professionals

Description:

In an age where technological expertise alone is no longer sufficient for leadership success, Beyond the Stack: Human-Centered Leadership for Technology Professionals provides a graduate-level exploration of what it truly means to lead in the modern IT landscape. Designed for aspiring CIOs, CTOs, engineering leaders, and scholars of leadership and technology management, this text challenges conventional paradigms of technical leadership by placing human dynamics, strategic influence, and ethical responsibility at the core of the IT leader’s role. Grounded in systems thinking, organizational psychology, and leadership science, the book begins by unpacking the critical mindset shift from individual contributor to executive leader. It explores emotional intelligence, the myth of the “10x engineer,” and the importance of shifting from coding to culture. Readers are introduced to frameworks for leading high-trust, cross-functional teams, practicing servant leadership, resolving interpersonal and technical conflicts, and developing communication fluency across non-technical domains such as HR, legal, and finance. From decision-making under ambiguity to innovation-driven change management, the text equips future leaders with tools to drive strategic alignment, encourage ownership, and influence without authority in matrixed organizations. Practical emphasis is placed on navigating complex contexts, building psychologically safe environments, storytelling for technical influence, and repairing trust after failure. The final chapters focus on legacy-building, mentoring, and succession planning—preparing readers not only to lead today’s teams, but to cultivate the next generation of ethical and visionary technology leaders.

Key Features:

• Human-centered focus on emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and ethical decision-making in technical environments.
• Strategic frameworks for cross-functional collaboration, innovation leadership, and organizational storytelling.
• Guidance on navigating ambiguity, driving accountability, and resolving interpersonal and technical conflict.
• Practical models for servant leadership, stakeholder communication, and fostering learning-driven cultures.
• Forward-looking insights into executive succession, leadership development, and legacy cultivation in IT-driven enterprises.

Ideal For:
Graduate level students in technology leadership, organizational development, and enterprise IT strategy; senior IT professionals preparing for executive roles; educators designing advanced leadership courses in technology management; and technologists seeking to evolve into effective, empathetic, and future-ready leaders.

Walsh College Students: This is the required textbook for IT502: Leadership for Tech Pros

ISBN-13: 979-8-9988425-1-1

Format: E-Book