IT leaders have tough jobs. They’re expected to maintain the technology required to support daily business operations; introduce new forms of technology that deliver competitive business advantage; spend as little money as possible; keep their teams happy and productive; establish close working relationships with their business partners; and work collaboratively with an extended ecosystem of external suppliers and vendors. On a good day, an IT leader feels like the conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, successfully coordinating activities that address several of these objectives simultaneously. On a bad day, an IT leader can be easily overwhelmed and discouraged by the breadth of their responsibilities and end up feeling like the shock absorber on a Mack truck! There are many research analysts and consultants who espouse theories about the way that IT is supposed to work within a commercial enterprise. Unfortunately, many of these individuals have never personally functioned in.