On the way to the funeral of my grandmother, we drove by a place she used to take us as children.  She would go to the historic O Street Market in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC.  While she shopped, we played at the adjacent Kennedy Playground.  We passed the time while my grandmother looked at chicken livers and chicken wings.  I had glorious memories of riding on trains, sailing on ships, and flying on planes.  I was particularly enthralled with the planes and my ability to fly.  I was stunned … I repeat … stunned, when as a young teenaged driver I rode past there only to be shocked by the fact that they were not real, functioning trains, ships, or planes. 

As the funeral procession rode by, there was nothing left of the playground.  The only thing that remained of the O Street Market was a façade of what once was and fragments of memories of a little girl with a big imagination and her grandmother.  I cried.

Later that night, a lifelong childhood friend also named Linda came by my house.  She told me something I forgot – or maybe I never knew.  She said that because of me, she was convinced that she could fly.  Well, I blogged about my own misguided thoughts about my airborne abilities (pictured here in my flying tricycle), but I didn’t realize until that moment that my childhood friend, without my knowledge had latched on to this vision of flight.  She told me that she learned from my failure and concluded that I just didn’t know what I was doing.  Her flight attempt ended with a bump on the head. 

I knew that there was leadership lesson here; I’d figure it out later.

Lately, I’ve taken a lot of hits about the NASA vision for IT – that we are the BEST IT organization in the world (being the best in the universe will be in our 5-year plan).  I had the audacity to suggest that we should measure this objectively by project performance, workforce competencies, outcomes of effective governance, and application of innovation.  I got constructive and loving feedback suggesting that perhaps we shouldn’t strive to be the best – we can’t really afford that anyway.  Let’s just be good enough – it’s cheaper. 

But it seemed reasonable to me.  Even though NASA is not in the IT business, IT is a critical part of the products and outcomes that we produce.  We spend nearly one and a half billion dollars on IT and we need to get the most value that we can out of this investment.  We can do this by being the best in the management of IT. 

The notion of a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is nothing new.  Jim Collins describes this in his book “Built to Last”.  He offers that successful organizations have a BHAG and it

“… engages people – it reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It is tangible, energizing, highly focused. People ‘get it’ right away; it takes little or no explanation.”

Many companies or organizations use the BHAG to stimulate progress.  Here are some examples:

• Google: Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
• Ford: "Democratize the automobile."
• Microsoft: "A computer on every desk and in every home."
• Disney: Build Disneyland - and build it to our image, not industry standards. To be the best company in the world for all fields of family entertainment.
• Amazon: Earth's most customer centric company.
• Twitter: To become "the pulse of the planet."

But, in his book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John C. Maxwell discusses the importance of vision in a leader’s walk.  In fact, a leader’s vision is drawn on their past. 

“Vision isn’t some mystical quality that comes out of a vacuum, as some people seem to believe.  It grows from a leader’s past and the history of the people around him.”

I still can’t shake my childhood vision of being able to fly.

However, what if this criticism is justified?  Maybe I will cause NASA to just get a figurative “bump on the head” as my friend Linda.  I can’t say that I’m really sure of the answer.  But, as I did some research for this blog, I discovered something truly amazing.  I discovered the trains, planes, and ships WERE REAL!

In a Time Magazine article, Recreation: Way Out to Play, the writer talks about the opening of the then new John F. Kennedy Playground in June 1964.  It was a child’s vision of Eden that was part of a project to support depressed city neighborhoods that had no recreational activities.  The program cost nothing, and the planners simply asked the armed forces to donate real trains, planes, and ships.  REAL PLANES! I KNEW IT!!!

“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” – Jamie Paolinetti

I remember telling my grandmother about our adventures at Kennedy Playground.  She smiled and said, “Tootie Baby, imagination is the greatest nation in the world”.  I didn’t really get it then.  But, I get it now.  Imagination. 

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

My first blog of the New Year was supposed to be about looking forward.  It was supposed to be about plans, hopes, goals, and ambitions.  I planned to pen that blog this weekend.  However, I got diverted into family obligations related to celebrating my grandmother’s 96^th birthday.  I made her favorite Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls and Baptist Pound Cake.  It was about Fried Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese.  Yes, I would do my blog later.  Yesterday was all about Mama.  She died today.

The NASA CIO blog is about leadership, technology, and innovation.  This one will be easy to write.  I will tell you what I learned about leadership, technology and innovation from my grandmother.

Expert communicator.  My grandfather was stationed in Germany twice and my grandmother learned to be a great communicator in German.  While we were in elementary school, she taught us little niceties to say in German.  She was also fluent in sign language.  We used to joke that Mama didn’t let the fact that you couldn’t hear her to keep her from talking! She was able to rise above most communication barriers and be a great conversationalist.

Creative.  Mama could crochet, knit, sew, and do needlepoint.  She could also do ceramics.  She taught this lefty how to crochet left-handed and how to knit right-handed; and most of all, how to use a pair of right-handed pinking shears. 

Resourceful.  She could do dry-wall, plastering, plumbing, shoe repair, masonry, and basic auto mechanics.  She could heal any boo-boo and I still believe that she could do minor surgery.  My sister Lisa and I were cleaning out her closet and found spike heel patent leather shoes and a battlefield dental repair kit.  Somehow that was related, but we couldn’t quite figure out how.

Courageous. She was brave.  I saw her go up against a pit bull … and win.  I was in the car with her as she got pulled over by MPs speeding in an Alpha Romeo … she won.  Pictured here, she was alone as a minority and President of the Officer’s Wives Club – a first.  In a foreign country, learning the language, she stepped up to the task.  I saw fear in her eyes and I saw her courage.  Oh, and she made her dress and gloves. 

She raised a daughter who was a marksman who raised a daughter that was a CIO.  I’m sure that’s related too, but I can’t quite figure out how.  Technology, fruit trees, things my mother taught me about being a CIO … my grandmother was always there. 

My last conversation with her last night was about technology and the Consumer Electronics Show.  I told her and my grandfather about how grandparents could stay connected with their grandchildren through text messaging and the new PDAs.  Mama liked it.  My grandfather seemed unimpressed.  She was tired and went to bed.  She didn’t wake up. 

I started writing this blog thinking about my loss.  I finish it thinking about what I gained – my grandmother Corona.  Her name means crown.  Her DNA is inside of me and I adorn her leadership qualities upon my head.  Tears fill my eyes as I honor her by signing my name using her nickname for me.

Linda Cureton (Toot), CIO NASA

We can learn a lot about innovation by looking at lessons taught to us by the tiny mustard seed.  This tiny seed blossoms into a large sprawling plant and has many uses.  Likewise, small amounts of innovation can blossom into extensive capabilities that can give your organization the ability to adapt, grow and thrive.  The IT leader that reaps the benefits of investment in innovation must do three things:

1.      Be customer focused and relevant

2.      Be willing to take risks

3.      Have a plan

Be customer focused and relevant.

There’s a great blues song from the musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ that has the wonderful customer-focused message:

Just use some more sugar if he says your jam ain't sweet,
trust him, or he will seek for his dessert across the street
So, find out what they like, and how they like it, and let him have it just that way

If today’s IT leaders don’t understand the demands that consumerism and Web 2.0 place in the context of the tempo of technology innovation, their customers will simply go across the street to obtain their IT services. 

Be willing to take risks.

Innovation takes courage.  There is no need for courage if there is no risk.  And there is no innovation without risk of failure.  Mansfield, et al. some years ago surveys two hundred projects in R&D laboratories.  The findings showed that only 57% of the projects achieved technical objectives; only 31% were marketable or commercially viable; and only 12% achieved market success.  In this example, only about one project in eight would be of benefit to the organization. 

Now, if you’re a Betting CIO, that’s as good as putting some money down on the crap table that a 4 will come out on the dice as two 2’s or a 10 will come out as two 5’s. This is a decent payoff.  But, it is a risk nevertheless.

Have a plan.

As the saying goes, a vision without a plan is a hallucination.  Taking risks in unmanaged ways is just plain whacky. 

You must have an Enterprise Architecture that maps where you are, where you are going and how you think you might get there.  Choose innovation projects or pilots that get you closer to your target state.  Have an ideation process that selects the best ideas that give you the ROI based upon your risk tolerance. 

The diminutive seed of the mighty mustard plant gives us many lessons indeed.  From this we get the condiment mustard; mustard plaster used for medicinal applications; and the tasty mustard greens.   Indeed small amounts of innovation can produce benefits that we don’t necessarily foresee. Yet, even the smallest amount can provide mountain-sized benefits.

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

This is the time of year when we reflect on the things that we are thankful for in our lives.  The CIO Leader needs to lead with thanksgiving 365 days per year.

CIOs should give thanks to their geeks. 

We as leaders always say that “people are #1”.  But what do we actually do?  Saying it is one thing, but acting on it is another.  We should do things that demonstrate our gratitude.  It doesn’t mean giving them everything they want.  But it does mean giving them everything they need.    

Paul Glen in his book “Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead People Who Deliver Technology”, characterizes several ways leaders can motivate Geeks.  One thing that we can do is projectize as much as possible.  People don’t like working day-in and day-out on tasks with no objective and with no end.  Creating projects (when appropriate) helps to focus energy on specific outcomes and fosters an environment of accomplishment.

Glen also goes on to say that another thing IT leaders should do for their Geeks is to occasionally bring free food.  I do recall during my happier days as a Systems Programmer I got a call at home from my boss around 7pm.  She asked me what I was doing.  I said to myself … uh-oh.  I was looking at Wheel of Fortune, what’s up? She asked me if I could come into the office and help her, there was a problem.  Well, almost two days later and with very little sleep, we finally fixed the little problem.  I recall sleeping on the floor using my purse for a pillow.  After we had been up all night (the first night), her boss came in at lunch time with food! It must have been nearly 25 years ago, but I still remember how it tasted and how it helped me make it through another night.

CIOs should share the powers of their Cornucopia. 

In Greek mythology, the Cornucopia was associated with magic powers.  Those who possessed it got anything they wished for.  Later, the horn of plenty was associated with food and abundance.  The leadership significance here is two-fold.

First, you must wish for something.  For leaders, this means having a vision.  They have to be able to share a dream and direction that people want to follow.  It kills me when we go through annual strategic planning processes and we start getting hung up on mere words.  Leadership vision is not a statement.  It is an intrinsic characteristic of leadership that helps people see that they are part of something big.  It inspires loyalty and commitment and motivates them to stretch and grow.

Finally, a CIO needs to be prepared to feed those she serves with the resources that she is given.  You have to have an empty cornucopia and a plan for that empty cornucopia because once it fills with food and abundance, you will have rot and waste if you don’t prepare to give back.  CIOs need to deliver a return on investment and produce results.

CIOs should plant seeds for harvest.

Time and money are such scarce resources.  CIOs need to use those resources wisely and nurture them to produce results.

One of my favorite no-nonsense leaders is Lt. General Al Edmonds (USAF, retired).  He was Director of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), VP and GM of EDS Public Sector, and is currently CEO of Logistics Applications, Inc.  I always look forward to benefiting from the advice and council of his leadership wisdom.  He told me once, “Don’t forget about your seeds, young lady!”  Of course I pretended I knew what the heck he was talking about.  “Don’t forget to sprinkle your seeds around and water them and watch them grow”.  He was talking about people who you mentor and invest time in helping them increase their leadership potential. 

John C. Maxwell talks about this in his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership in the Law of Explosive Growth.  He goes on to say,

“Leaders who develop followers grow their organization only one person at a time.  But leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth, because for every leader they develop, they also receive all of that leader’s followers.  “

We leaders need to change our thinking not about spending scarce time with people, but rather how to invest time in the right people.  This is how we produce an abundant harvest.

CIOs need to also plant seeds for innovation.  I believe that with a mustard seed of innovation, CIOs can move mountains.  I hear so often that we can’t afford to spend money on innovation.  I wonder how we can afford NOT to invest in it.

Judy Estrin in Closing the Innovation Gap challenges us to nurture the innovative environment. 

“Just as plants require water and sunlight if they are to grow, sustaining innovation requires the right leadership, funding, policy, education, and culture.”

A CIO Thanksgiving means planting seeds of leadership.  It also means having a vision, a plan, and a cornucopia of results.  Finally, but most important, we need to give thanks for the people who help us deliver the harvest to the organizations we serve.

Linda Cureton, Thankful CIO of NASA

I try to always notice when things out of the ordinary happen.  This time, I had the extraordinary occasion to visit the Small But Mighty Stennis Space Center in two consecutive weeks. 

Stennis Space Center is located in Mississippi.  The site is the location that was established to test the engines for the Nation’s first journeys to the moon.  It continues to be our largest engine testing facility and tested all of the main engines for the Space Shuttle and will test the engines for their replacement.  The path to the moon and beyond must pass through the Small But Mighty Stennis Space Center.

As one of the smallest of NASA’s Centers with barely 200 civil servants, I was amazed by the vastness of its physical site and the enormity of its mission.    It’s funny how we always overlook the importance of the contributions of the “small”.  Many laughed at the small shepherd boy who slew a mighty giant with a mere rock; we underestimate the importance of the small seed from which the mighty oak grows; or maybe some scoffed at those wild and crazy kids that had a small idea that started a mighty company called Apple. 

As I stood in one of the stands that test the mighty engines that led us to space, I was treated to lagniappe by the Small But Mighty Dinna Cottrell, CIO of the Small But Mighty Stennis Space Center.  I must admit that I’ve only pretended to understand what is meant by lagniappe, but she gives me an explanation that helped punctuate the true meaning of the word here:

“The definition of Lagniappe as my mother told me growing up and still to this day, means "a little something extra."  My mother told me when she was a little girl she would go to the store and the store owner would give her "lagniappe," which was small pieces of candy.  My mother will be 81 in early December.”

The lagniappe I was treated to was the story of Wardell Burnett.  He retired in 1999 as a furniture mover.  He was a loyal and dedicated worker whose small contributions behind a plow and a mule were critical to the success of America’s mighty space program.  His work was critical in meeting the challenge of carving up thousands of acres of pine-choked land in Hancock County to make way for the national rocket test site was one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken.  Pictured here on the left with an engine test stand in the background personifies the mighty contributions that the small and humble make. 

As leaders, we should never overlook the contributions of the small and humble.  Leadership success relies on those contributions. 

“Vision comes alive when everyone sees where his or her contribution makes a difference.” – Ken Blanchard

Mr. Burnett, who died in 2008, couldn’t imagine what was going to happen at the land and site he helped prepare.  Yet, his work personified the spirit of the Small But Mighty Stennis Space Center.

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

A confluence of things has occurred recently.  I had the occasion to speak to a group of NASA Enterprise Architects.  I’m sure that it is no coincidence that I’ve been spending some sleepless nights thinking about NASA’s IT Infrastructure Integration Program (I3P) and its hope of a kinder, safer, and more cost effective world.  And in a final trifecta of synchronicity, I ran across a delightfully satirical book titled, How to Rule the World: Handbook for an Aspiring Dictator, by André de Guillaume.

Let me step back a bit and offer a simple definition for Enterprise Architecture that is not spoken in the dribble of IT jargon.  In simplest terms, it is a planning framework that describes how the technology assets of an organization connect and operate.  It also describes what the organization needs from the technology.  And finally, it describes the set of activities required to meet the organizational needs.  Oh, and I should also say it operates in a context of a process for setting priorities, making decisions, informing those decisions, and delivering results called – IT Governance.

The author makes four major points in the book:

·         It is possible to rule the world

·         You can create the greatest empire ever known

·         You can subdue all nations under your colors

·         You can change the course of history

The parallels to Enterprise Architecture track to these points:

·         It is possible to manage IT as an Enterprise.

·         You can use the Enterprise Architecture to plan and manage the kinder, safer, more cost effective IT world.

·         Transformational projects will successful and deliver desired results.

·         IT can be a key strategic enabler of NASA’s goals.

The more arcane Enterprise Architects will probably disagree with what is likely an oversimplification.  They should be ignored as the evil despots they are.  Others will miss the satirical point and view this as geeky babble.  The book suggests blackmail and torture to win their hearts and minds.  I won’t go there; at least not yet.

Well … deep breaths … using Enterprise Architecture to rule the world … hum.  I better cut this short; I need to go and come up with a name for my country and commission a flag.

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

I left my safe and warm place at NASA HQ to visit three NASA Centers in three days in California – Dryden, JPL, and Ames.  It’s been three weeks since my last post.  No time for blogging – need to spend time drinking from a fire hose … or drinking from 3,000 Dixie cups. 

I knew I was going to blog about the trip, but couldn’t really decide what to write about and didn’t have much time to think about it.  Perhaps I can talk about being at Dryden  and learning of the hope of aeronautics research or flying the flight simulator and safely taking off, landing, out maneuvering my Deputy CIO for IT Security without ejecting myself or hitting the ground.  Perhaps I can talk about my feelings of gratitude that JPL and its legacy of planetary exploration was spared from the unforgiving brush fires.  Perhaps I can talk about the courageous innovators of Ames, their technology contributions, their hyperwalls, or their hypervisors. 

I almost forgot why I blog in the first place -- leadership, learning, transparency.  Now I know what to blog about – the Joshua Tree. 

I need to tell you that I didn’t see too many Joshua Trees growing up in Washington, DC and I was curious about them.  Dryden CIO Rob Binkley told me that the important thing to remember if you get into a disagreement with a Joshua Tree and your car, it will win.  Its deep root system makes it strong and resilient.  Those are pretty convenient qualities of leadership.

The tree got its name from Mormon settlers thought the shape of its branches reminded them the Biblical story where Joshua reaches his arms up to heaven in prayer.  As the story goes, this was essential in his early success.  Furthermore, the tree was a valuable resource used for fencing and for fuel. 

Finally, it’s Joshua himself and how he personifies transitional leadership.  With a tough act to follow, his faith, resilience, and resourcefulness provide valuable lessons to leaders as they assume new leadership roles.

California Dreamin’ on such a winter day.  I always liked that song, but I never really understood the lyrics until now.  It’s really about transition and the inevitability of leaving your warm place and moving forward to the coldness of future leadership challenges.   

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

This will be short and sweet…so here it is.  Today, September 26, 2009, is my last official day as the CIO of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.  I leave an organization that marked the start of my Federal career. 

I graduated from Howard University on a hot Saturday in May of 1980.  I started at NASA/Goddard the following Monday as a dreamy 21-year old Mathematician.  I left about 18 months later.  I returned a quarter of a century later and now a leave again a Center that made amazing contributions to our nation’s space program.  Tomorrow, I will be the CIO of NASA.  This is a humbling and exciting experience.

After only having a week to prepare, I find that I haven’t had time to cry, to hug, say good-bye, or even to pack.  It’s funny how change doesn’t wait for us to get ready.  Change simply happens.  I’m not sure even if I’m saying good-bye or hello.  Perhaps it is merely Aloha. 

So, this is it.  I’ll continue to blog for the same reasons as stated in earlier posts.  I was hired with a charge to participate on an executive leadership team that not only fulfills the mission of our nation’s space program, but inspires a world.  Perhaps a universe. 

The change I lead will start with me.  A quote by Anatole France says:

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

No time to mourn.  Just enough time to resurrect.  Procurements, cloud computing, innovation, security, team building … oh, and launch vehicles, manned space flight, tight budgets … inspiration to the world.  Aloha dreamy mathematician.  Aloha NASA.

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA

p.s. Don’t paint my orange office!

I love the smell of September in Washington, DC, it smells like the future.  It always reminds me of the joyful expectation of going back to school; the anticipation of learning new things; and it’s the ever-so-slight sense of urgency caused by the recently-noticed shortening of days.    It’s the scent of cool crisp mornings with a hint of humidity in the air; and it’s the aroma of the blossoms of the crepe myrtle as they accelerate their descent to the ground.

I was in a brainstorming meeting last week with a group discussing goals of a Maryland Science, Exploration and Education Center (SEEC) at Goddard Space Flight Center.  The objectives of the SEEC include inspiring, engaging and educating the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists; providing compelling experiences to all to increase understanding of our home planet and our place in the Universe; and to create a destination of choice that effectively showcases NASA and Goddard’s current work.  To help the group see the possibilities and get our creative juices flowing, someone put up a quote from Edwin Powell Hubble:

 “Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.”

I sat aside for a moment the fact that as I enter the second half century of my life, these five senses are becoming increasingly insufficient for exploring this adventure called life. After that, I realized that this was a pretty cool quote for many reasons.  I did a little inventory of the five senses and then came to smell.  It wasn’t surprising that this whole notion of establishing SEEC smelled like September.

Some folks are examining the phenomena of synethesia and clairalience where one could acquire other sensory knowledge or psychic knowledge through smell.  This notion of the smell of success might not be too goofy.  Consider a quote from the movie Apocalypse Now that says,

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smell(s) like victory.”

As leaders strive to inspire and engage, we need to fully understand the power of senses like smell or even taste.  Many have heard the expression, often said of players on winning sports teams, they wanted the win so bad, they could taste it. 

Senior Executives will establish new performance objectives for the year; I will have a leadership team retreat to establish my Directorate’s annual goals; and in the government, we will approach the start of a new fiscal year.   Frank Sinatra sings to us in September Song:

Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn’t got time for the waiting game

Hope, inspired future, sense of urgency.  I now appreciate the synchronicity of events recently and why it smells like September.   

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

I get a steady trickle of “Friend” requests on Facebook.  As a rule, I don’t accept requests from people who I don’t know or with whom I have no mutual friends.  But, then I got such a request from Otto Adams.  The name didn’t even ring a bell.  A few clicks and I discovered he was in my graduating class at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC.

It may or may not be surprising to know that out of a graduating class of 141, I barely remember anyone.  Mostly, I remember the brass section of the band and a few clarinet players.  So, I looked at Otto’s friends to see who they were to get some clues.  Then I saw, Chris Belcher.  Humm…his photograph showed a 50-ish man with gray hair and an ever-so-slight beginning of male-pattern baldness.  But, the amazing thing was that the photograph, which was so good and it captured the essence of his personality, it caused me to remember a quiet blond teenage boy who always walked around by himself with his camera on his shoulder.  Yes, good photographs do that.  I shouldn’t have been surprised to find a string of visual arts students on Facebook, but that’s what I found. 

Next, I came to Francesca Scott.  She was obviously a professional photographer.  No picture of her, but I had a vague memory of a short girl with long beautiful hair that walked around by herself with a camera on her shoulder.  A browsed her gallery.   I hadn’t seen such beautiful pictures in years.  And quite frankly, had forgotten what beauty a talented photographer could produce.

And then I thought of what is going on today with Information Technology.

Today, just about everyone has a camera on their phone.  This along with the ease of use and popularity of digital cameras makes it easy for just about everyone to be a “photographer”.  Furthermore, with the video capabilities that exist now, just about anyone is able to record “what’s on the scene” of most newsworthy events that happen. Now everyone is a videographer.

Today, just anyone can have a blog.  It’s easy and it’s free.  Information is everywhere and anyone with a blog site can now become a “journalist”. 

The same situation exists with IT.  No one can deny that there is a proliferation of IT.  At NASA, we spend somewhere around $1.5 billion per year on it.  It’s everywhere.  And here, just like everywhere, the proliferation, the ubiquitous nature of it, and the increased ease of use forces IT, as well as cameras, to be considered merely tools.  It is because of the notion that IT is merely a tool, that we have lost the notion of a discipline that is actually associated with the management of IT – the artistry that is associated with the use of the mastery of tool.

Well, what does this “art” look like? And why is it important to find it again?

Truth.  Now that anyone with a blog, can be a journalist, what is left for the journalist to do? To, coin a phrase, information, information everywhere and nothing to think about.  The journalist’s role can add value by helping readers validate information and convert information into knowledge.  With IT, the CIO must now evolve from being the deliverer of IT, because now most people can get that, to helping organizations use that information to get the knowledge they need for mission success.

Beauty.  I don’t know if I can tell you what made Francesca’s photographs beautiful, but they were.  The beauty was not in the tool she used, but it was in the results that were produced.  And perhaps beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.  Similarly, the beauty in the successful management of IT will be in the eyes of those who are served by it.  There is no beauty in IT tools, but the beauty can be observed in the outcomes that are produced as perceived by the people who are served.

Love.  Love inspires passion which breathes life into what we do.  Long hours in a dark room, dancing until your feet were sore, or practicing your horn with a tired embouchure, require passion to fuel and sustain artists.  Similarly, the CIO, or any leader for that matter, must have passion about their work and about the mission to sustain execution of activities that can ultimately breed success.

Love, beauty, truth … What does that have to do with space exploration? Getting back to the moon? Or getting to Mars? I’m not sure how to really explain what that “looks like” relative to IT Management.  But, considering how important IT is to NASA’s mission and how much we spend on it, recapturing that lost art of IT Management is needed to use these mere tools as effectively and as efficiently as we can for the masterpiece of mission success.

Linda Cureton, CIO, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center