Tag Archive for: #AmplifyYourValue

WorkMinusHost Neil Miller and I go deep on why IT departments can no longer be known as the department of “No”.  Technology is now at the center of most businesses. In face, very few industries can survive without technology. IT leaders must be seeking ways to drive the business forward, create new revenue streams, interact with the customer…and the customer’s customer. IT is core to the future of work! Listen to the episode here!

WorkMinus is an organization founded on the future of work. The focus on six key workplace concepts for the future: Leadership, Productivity, Diversity & Inclusion, Workspaces, Technology and Culture.

Humans Now and ThenHost Rebecca Scott and I get real about the changing face of IT. What skills does the IT leader of today and tomorrow need to be successful and drive their businesses forward? The answer may surprise you…it has little to do with technology. Our businesses are demanding more of us in this digital age. While our focus was on the future, we also look to the past and talk about the importance of journal writing and a couple of guys named Lewis & Clark. Listen to our conversation here!

Humans, Now and Then explores how our rapidly changing world impacts our human experience, now and in the future. If you like the show, please share with others to help get them involved in the conversation about the future.

Amplify Your Value

 

OK, folks! Some MORE shameless self-promotion here!

My new book Amplify Your Value – Leading IT with Strategic Vision has been published! Both the e-book and paperback are available now!

If you would like to place a bulk order for 10 our more paperback copies (at a 20% discount) email me at [email protected]!

Interested in receiving a free two-chapter preview? Click here to download! 

Amplify Your ValueOK, folks! Some shameless self-promotion here!

My new book Amplify Your Value – Leading IT with Strategic Vision will be published on August 13th! The Kindle e-book version is available now for pre-order on Amazon.com. The paperback and audio versions will be available on the 13th!

If you would like to place a bulk order for 10 our more paperback copies (at a 20% discount) email me at [email protected]!

Interested in receiving a free two-chapter preview? Click here to download! 

Amplify Your ValueIt is finished! Just a few short days ago I clicked send on an email submitting my manuscript to my editor. “Amplify Your Value – Leading IT with Strategic Vision” will be published in a few short weeks.

Using stories from my time as a Chief Information Officer for Lauth Property Group and Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, the book lays out a framework for creating a vision, defining strategies to achieve that vision, and executing on those strategies. As Will Lasalle said in his foreword for the book, it comes complete with the cheesy IT humor you’ve come to expect from me! You can read more about the book at Amplify Your Value.

This is a moment I have been dreaming about for years. In fact, I have started and stopped writing a book about as many times as a smoker starts and stops smoking. What was it that enabled me to break through and actually finish a book? Is there some sort of “patch” for writers?

For me, the breakthrough came from a LinkedIn post last fall. One of my connections, Mike Pritchard, shared his thoughts about a book he had just read titled, “You MUST Write a Book”. His post was so energetic and enthusiastic about the book, I commented on the post thanking Mike for sharing. To which, Mike replied, “Jeff, you SHOULD write a book. You MUST read this book.”

That day I downloaded the audio book, “You MUST Write a Book” by Honorée Corder. I listened to it on my daily commute. In fact, I think I listened to it three or four times. I was so energized! I ended up buying a paperback copy as well so I could refer back to it easily.

One of the things she talks about in the book, is to find a topic you are passionate about, perhaps one that you have spoken about. I decided on Amplify Your Value. I have spoken to numerous audiences, telling the story of the tremendous accomplishments we achieved during my five year tenure at Goodwill. I even had a series of blog posts I had written for Intel on the subject. I began to write!

Since early November I have been getting up at the ungodly hour of 5:15 every day (well, ALMOST everyday) to write. The house is quiet, the coffee is hot, and the daily deluge of email has not yet started.

For Christmas, my wife Carmen, gave me another book by Honorée, “I MUST Write MY Book”. This book is a workbook that follows along with the text from “You MUST Write a Book”. As you complete the exercises in the workbook, you build a plan to develop, write, publish and market a book. Go figure, a career IT geek needed STRUCTURE and a PROCESS to successfully complete a manuscript.

Drawing on my past experience as a hip-hop record mogul (you remember Brad Real and 8729 Records, right?) and Honorée’s approach, I have chosen to take the indie publishing route. Carmen and I have formed a publishing company, I’ve hired a freelance editor, proofreader, and copywriter. I even used crowdsourcing for the cover design.

The book is not yet available for pre-order, however, you can follow along on the journey by subscribing to my newsletter. I promise not to spam your inbox, but if you want the latest on the book, my blog posts, or my speaking appearance, sign up for Jeff Ton – News today!

Here’s what some early readers of Amplify Your Value have said:

“As a seasoned technology leader, Jeff shares his majestic career journey with authentic vulnerability.  It is refreshing to see such a thoughtful and strategic perspective for technology leaders to learn from.  The five business models framework maps tangible steps to take action right way!” Julie Kratz, Founder, CEO of Pivot Point, Author of “One”

“Jeff tells a compelling story of being a CIO in the trenches – taking charge when opportunities present themselves, shoring up operations when required, and evolving strategies that drive business results. IT leaders will relate to his challenges and learn best practices from an experienced leader.”Isaac Sacolick, President and CIO of StarCIO and Author of “Driving Digital”

“Jeff’s right. The CIO is best placed to lead strategically in the face of perpetual transformation. His own journey to a seat at the table won him many battle scars. He has used that experience to craft a must-read book for any CIO that wants to know how to lead IT with strategic vision from a seat at the executive table. It is a blueprint to shift from keeping the lights on to the kind of enterprise that not only avoids disruption but builds a strategic competence of innovation.”Ron J. West, CEO of West Executive Inc and creator of The Chrysalis Program

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