Etienne du Bruin goes solo this week as he discusses the complicated nature of a CTO’s role. He talks about the four S’s of a CTO, and describes how systems thinking can be used to understand the role of a leader.


CTOs shield their organizations from existential threats internally and externally; stretch out the organization with design thinking and organizational design; speed up technology delivery; and work with the cross functional teams to increase sales, Etienne claims. 

Complex systems consist of many elements on many different scales, all affecting one another on different levels. 

Systems thinking can be used to understand how the components of a complex company interact with each other. Levels of complexity within companies necessitate that leaders be able to adapt quickly in order to manage these complexities.

Etienne believes the role of a CTO is one of business, with a budget to build teams that deliver technologies to grow revenues. 


Resources
Email Etienne: etienne@7ctos.com