Traditionally, business people expected IT to be like the wizard behind the curtain, silently keeping the Emerald City running while they dealt with customers. Over time, the curtain has been yanked open exposing IT as controlling the strategic mojo needed to help business compete as well as influence customer retention.  So, how does an IT leader strut his IT’s strategic stuff and gain TRUE BLUE loyalty?   One strategy used by Kevin Larson, CIO of AAR Corporation, was to develop his IT team as a strategic differentiator, working actively to put solutions in place. For one thing, his IT specializes in rapid deployment with lots of hand holding. Soundclip - 01

As the owner of the first neck to be grabbed should a customer crisis occur, how does an IT leader  create a culture that will capture true blue followers for his/her organization? Obviously, IT must be tied into business. But is there any way to be prescient? CIO Kevin Larson has focused his IT on setting up effective monitoring tools, contingency plans, and around the clock dedication. Soundclip - 02

Will dedicated IT people and their CIO keep their true blue following into the future, or is it just too much to expect this kind of dedication to survive for very long in any organization? Will everything that can be outsourced, be outsourced, lessening the need for a strategic IT with a true blue following? Find out what Kevin has to say here. Soundclip - 03