NASA CIO Blog
- CIO Leadership
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Here is the list of entries for NASA CIO Blog based on the selected criteria.
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Farewell NASA: The Circular CIO
Apr 02, 2013 08:59:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- So, I’m at the end again. Really at the beginning. What am I doing next? Just Google that. But, I sign off on my last NASA CIO blog saying that I am leaving and agency I love to start a new beginning again.
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Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Oct 25, 2012 09:01:54 AM | Linda Cureton
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- Understanding and implementing the fundamentals of cybersecurity is a critical component of our ongoing success. I want to remind everyone in the NASA community to STOP – THINK – CONNECT, as NASA Leaps forward … in Cybersecurity.
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The Out of This World Reality of the Virtual NASA
Sep 23, 2012 10:17:17 PM | Linda Cureton
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- As the CIO, I nearly had a nervous breakdown (occupational hazard) over experimenting with having an important meeting virtually. This collaboration technology was new to the participants and the headquarters wireless network was in a bouncy mood that day. But at the end of the day, we were one giant leap closer to implementing Administrator Bolden’s vision of an anywhere, anyplace, anytime organization.
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The IT Revolution
Aug 18, 2012 09:46:10 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Yes, the IT Revolution is here. It calls for a new IT Governance that is of the end-users, by the end-users, and for the end-users. It requires CIOs to lead with courage, emotional intellect, and political resolve to give the people they serve what they really want and need.
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Geek Power
Feb 19, 2012 05:04:10 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Have you hugged your Geek lately? Please do --they are important to your organization.
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Technology Divas
Jan 22, 2012 01:50:04 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Ok, so I’m on a cruise and writing a blog about technology. I’m not weird; I’m a CIO – same thing, right?
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Getting High on ACES
Oct 30, 2011 02:39:42 PM | Linda Cureton
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- ACES moves us one step closer to addressing one of OMB’s top 25 issues by positioning NASA to enjoy economy of scale relative to commodity desktop IT. This will also put NASA in a position to securely leverage trends in virtualization and consumer experiences. More than that, it gives the mission a way to get technology when they need it so that they can focus on their specialized challenges.
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Five Things That Scare a CIO
Oct 22, 2011 07:53:24 PM | Linda Cureton
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- With Halloween right around the corner, some pranksters really get kicks out of trying to scare people. Do you want to know how to scare a CIO? Here are some things to try.
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My Information Technology Ministry
Sep 17, 2011 04:37:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I'm new to the role of Co-chair of the Federal CIO Council’s Architecture and Infrastructure Committee. But, I can see similarities between this and other roles I’ve had at church. Sure, some enterprise architects are zealots about what they believe, but the real similarity comes in leading volunteers when you have no direct control or authority over them. So, one of the best way to get experience as a CIO is to volunteer for leadership in the IT programs at church or in the community.
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The Leadership of the Horse Holder
Sep 10, 2011 07:23:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- We can learn a lot about leadership from horse holders. They show us the importance of leading from behind.
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IT Reform at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Jun 05, 2011 08:40:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the goals of President Obama’s administration as it relates to improving how IT is managed in the Federal Government. We support the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 25 Point Plan with many activities from NASA’s stellar IT program.
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The Five People You Meet in CIO Leadership Heaven
Apr 17, 2011 04:23:02 PM | Linda Cureton
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- The movie of a similar title is about an old man who dies and meets five people in heaven who affected his life though he didn’t necessarily realize it at the time. In our personal and professional lives, we meet these people all the time. Here are some of mine from an IT perspective – names have been fictionalized.
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Women in History: Counting on Women in Mathematics
Mar 19, 2011 09:11:45 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I’d like take the opportunity in Women’s History Month to talk specifically about some great contributions from some women in mathematics and perhaps to shout for joy about being a woman, a mathematician, and a part of the NASA civil servant workforce.
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Women in History: A Girl’s World
Mar 12, 2011 08:56:09 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Yeah, I was proud of my new cute pink leather jacket that I got 40% off plus an additional 30% off with a coupon. And yeah, I talked about it during a meeting and apologized. But, maybe Womens' History Month is a good time to stop apologizing for being a woman!
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Cliff Makes His Move: Planting Leadership Seeds
Jan 15, 2011 07:08:47 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Our beloved integration manager and NASA’s universally-acknowledged expert on the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is moving on to better position. He got a fine send-off that would be the envy of most geeks – submarine sandwiches, cookies, and soda. Napkins are for wimps, that’s what shirts are for. But Cliff is no wimp.
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Impossible Leadership
Dec 12, 2010 05:45:53 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Have you ever seen anyone perform the impossible? We’ve all heard stories about the impossible; about superhuman strength during time of duress; about Cinderella stories; and of course, leaders that accomplish the improbable and the impossible. What can leaders learn from this? How do we harness this magic?
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Grateful Leadership
Nov 21, 2010 09:14:26 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Leaders should always remember the value of expressing gratitude. Now is the time to go on a rampage of appreciation for all you have, all that you are, and all that you observe.
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Leadership of the Owl
Mar 19, 2011 09:11:18 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Giving a hoot about leadership and learning about the vision, insight, and wisdom of the Owl.
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Finding the Sweet Spot for Disruptive Innovation
Oct 08, 2010 07:50:53 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I was having a healthy debate with my CTO for IT Chris C. Kemp. I’m not sure who won the CTO v. CIO debate. But, the true winner can be found somewhere in the sweet spot for disruptive innovation.
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Leading Through the Tears
Aug 20, 2010 05:22:45 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I was mortified this week when I cried in front of a big crowd. But, in the end, I learned a valuable leadership lesson.
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The Summit
Aug 15, 2010 02:18:15 AM | Linda Cureton
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- We all need our summits … places we must climb, heights we must reach. Furthermore, the purpose of leadership is to help others reach their summit. We must nurture within ourselves and our organizations the courage, confidence, and stamina needed to reach our peak and wrestle the mighty Titans of life.
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Resilience!
Aug 07, 2010 05:42:26 PM | Linda Cureton
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- My trip to Stennis meant more than getting my fix from high-fat, low glycemic index carbohydrates from the Rocketeria. It meant being reminded by The Mighty that getting their way isn’t as important as knowing which way to go; that clouds have silver linings; and that potential set backs are prospective opportunities. Indeed, I got my leadership fix of Resilience!
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Life in IT Flatland
Mar 19, 2011 09:09:31 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Those of us in IT Flatland have two-dimensional thinking where we don't look "up" to customer needs or "down" to end-to-end well-integrated solutions. We need to open our IT "third eye" to get ourselves out of IT Flatland.
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Breakthrough Leadership
Jul 24, 2010 04:08:37 PM | Linda Cureton
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- So now I’m grateful for July, for my runny nose, and for my low grade fever. I know why now. I saw it this month. I saw it this week. And I saw its reflection in my mirror this morning. It looked like Breakthrough Leadership.
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Yin and Yang Leadership
Mar 19, 2011 09:08:58 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Yin and Yang describes opposing forces which flow in a natural way and always seek balance. The two opposing forces flow in such a way that they become merely two aspects of a single reality. Sometimes the two opposing forces move you to where the problems get solved and where the impossible becomes possible.
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Creating a CIO Team That Rocks!
Jun 13, 2010 02:21:05 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Had a meeting with NASA CIOs which by my own self-imposed performance measures was good – that means I didn’t cry (though I got close) and I didn’t have a headache (though I had a sore throat from a 15-minute agenda item that turned into 2 hours). I found myself spitting out some words that I would later eat myself – they tasted Sweet.
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No Stupid Ideas
Mar 19, 2011 09:08:02 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Well, I thought a lot about this and have concluded that there are no stupid ideas, just stupid people.
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The Bossy CIO
May 04, 2010 01:26:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Everyone is asking me about the latest reorganization in NASA. In particular, the Center CIOs now report to me. They ask, so it must be great that all the Center CIOs all belong to you. The reality is that there’s not much truth to that. The reality is that I now belong to all of THEM.
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The Connected CIO
Apr 17, 2010 11:20:19 PM | Linda Cureton
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- This is a scary blog to write. We marvel at the amazing capabilities that these Web 2.0 tools give us. As the so-called “social CIO” I lamented that blogging wasn’t as interactive as I thought. I found the reason why in a mirror.
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Women and Technology Leadership
Mar 14, 2010 09:24:30 PM | Linda Cureton
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- March is Women’s History Month. As NASA aspires to encourage the interest of young women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, I reflected on Sydney, a young girl that I am tutoring in 6th grade mathematics.
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Managing Your Online Reputation
Mar 19, 2011 09:07:22 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Concern about reputation is a barrier for many organizations and individuals preventing them from fully harnessing the power of Web 2.0 technologies. If you care about your online reputation, this blog is for you.
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Imagine a CIO
Feb 09, 2010 12:57:21 AM | Linda Cureton
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- I remember telling my grandmother about our adventures at Kennedy Playground in the Shaw Neigborhood of Washington, DC. 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.
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Moving Information Technology Mountains with Mustard Seed Innovation
Dec 29, 2009 12:29:35 PM | Linda Cureton
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- 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. CIOs can reap bountiful crops of capability by sowing small seeds of innovation.
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A CIO Thanksgiving
Jan 26, 2010 10:14:09 AM | Linda Cureton
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- 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.
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The Small But Mighty Stennis Space Center
Nov 08, 2009 01:27:50 PM | Linda Cureton
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- As leaders, we should never overlook the contributions of the small and humble. Leadership success relies on those contributions.
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California Dreaming NASA-Style
Jan 26, 2010 10:15:33 AM | Linda Cureton
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- Resilience, resourcefulness, and transitional leadership -- in California getting leadership lessons from a Joshua Tree.
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Aloha Goddard Space Flight Center,Aloha NASA
Jan 26, 2010 10:43:22 AM | Linda Cureton
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- 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. Tomorrow I start as CIO of NASA.
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In Search of the Lost Art of IT Management
Aug 20, 2009 06:14:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Today, just about everyone has a camera on their phone. So now anyone can be a photographer. With blogs, everyone is now a journalist. The same situation exists with IT. 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 Art of IT Management.
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The Betting CIO
Aug 09, 2009 02:36:12 PM | Linda Cureton
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- By some strange confluence in the universe, I found myself in a casino for two consecutive weekends. Leadership lessons in a casino? You bet!
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Inspire or Expire
Jul 31, 2009 04:13:47 PM | Linda Cureton
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- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center got an inspiring first visit from our new Administrator Charlie Bolden. One thing he said stuck in my mind and in my heart. He said that NASA should ... inspire. What do organizations need to do in order to inspire?
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Problem Solving and Personal Leadership
Jul 13, 2009 08:12:40 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Not surprisingly, some of the same characteristics of a good problem-solver can be found in a good leader. Courage, creativity, focus, tenacity.
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The Poor Strugglin’ CIO
Jul 02, 2009 05:30:08 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Sometimes you have good days and sometimes you have bad days. As you look backwards on bad days, these leadership lessons always seem clear. Wouldn’t be great if we could look forward to them or at least learn these lessons in real time? It would make you almost embrace these so-called bad days. It could improve your learning as a leader.
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Leadership Lessons from a CIO’s Hairdresser
Jan 26, 2010 10:19:15 AM | Linda Cureton
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- I had to get a security clearance and the special agent doing my background investigation called me up and asked for the phone number of my hairdresser. I paused … and told him … that’s a low blow dude. He said you’d be surprised what you can learn from a person’s hairdresser. You’d be surprised indeed – even leadership lessons.
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Girl Power for CIOs
Jun 23, 2009 01:18:50 PM | Linda Cureton
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- So, I guess the conclusion is whether you are a male or female executive; or a CIO or regular person, you should focus on your strengths, be prepared to stand out in a crowd, and watch out for alligators.
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The Goddard CIO Blog: One Year Later
Jun 01, 2009 10:16:21 PM | Linda Cureton
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- One year today, I made my first blog post. Today, I want to pause and discuss my experience, my learning, and my path forward. This is a lengthy post. It will not be a sterile reflection of the efficacy of this Web 2.0 technology, but rather, this will be an expression of what this experience meant to me as a CIO, a leader, and as an individual.
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How Extraordinary Golf Leads to Extraordinary Leadership
May 23, 2009 02:25:37 PM | Linda Cureton
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- We all have our purpose for playing golf just as we have our purpose in life. We confuse performance with purpose. Are we committed to looking good with the perfect drive? Or to enjoying golf? We do this in the workplace as managers and leaders. Are we committed to the purpose of the project? Or have we lost sight of the organization’s target because we are overly focusing on performance? Now certainly performance is critical, but we don’t want a successful operation and a dead patient!
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More Things My Mother Taught Me About Being a CIO
Jan 26, 2010 10:31:25 AM | Linda Cureton
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- It’s appropriate as we enter Mother’s Day weekend for me to reflect that I don’t have to look back too far in the past to learn from my mother. I’ve blogged about this topic before and the calendar warrants further reflections on some more of those CIO learning moments.
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What’s IT Got to Do With It?
May 02, 2009 11:19:38 PM | Linda Cureton
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- This week, my mother announced to me that she heard on Oprah what Twitter is and didn't need her CIO daughter to explain it. Well, if that isn't a wake up call for CIOs to become relevent in the advent of Web 2.0 technologies then CIO really does stand for Career Is Over!
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NASA CIO Meeting: Connecting with Dot
Apr 11, 2009 12:43:01 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Johnson Space Center Deputy CIO Dot Swanson reminds us of the key critical attributes for having critical conversations -- confidence, humility, and skill. Connecting with Dot during a meeting of NASA CIOs was an inspirational reminder of the importance of this for an organization like ours.
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108: Preparing for Glory in NASA’s Information Technology Program
Feb 21, 2009 05:55:02 PM | Linda Cureton
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- You may want to skip to the next item in your RSS Feed because this blog is for me – for my selfish purposes. Perhaps no purpose and perhaps no value to you … but of value to me and maybe to the 108 men and women of Goddard Space Flight Center's IT and Communications Directorate.
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The Learning Organization: CIO as Paleontologist
Feb 08, 2009 07:00:34 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I ran into someone who worked for one of my colleagues. He was a Paleontologist. I thought of the dinosaurs, and how we can learn from them and their inability to learn and adapt and subsequent extinction. Such is the future of organizations that fail to do likewise.
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Did You Hear the One About the NASA CIOs?
Feb 01, 2009 01:54:05 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Q: How many NASA CIOs does it take to change a light bulb? A: None, it’s a hardware problem. If you like that, here’s a better one. Q: How many NASA CIOs does it take to change NASA? A: All of them
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The Transparent CIO
Jan 17, 2009 05:09:59 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Lately, many of us have been discussing transparency in government. But what is it really? Maybe it's time that I pushed the edges of it personally, to see if it's all it's cracked up to be.
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CIO of the Stars
Jan 11, 2009 05:35:11 PM | Linda Cureton
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- As the CIO of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, I must be aligned with Goddard’s mission to support NASA’s goals in understanding where we came from, where we are going, and are we alone. I think for this agency, the answer is in the stars.
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IT Governance in Government
Jan 03, 2009 05:12:00 PM | Linda Cureton
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- IT Governance is a real problem in Government. Sort of like a similar problem we had in … say … Colonial America. More later on why.
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Doorways to 2009 CIO Leadership Strategies
Jan 01, 2009 06:19:39 PM | Linda Cureton
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- As 2008 ends and 2009 begins, many of us begin to think of what the new year will bring. A CIO leadership agenda warrants the same kind of reflections.
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What CIOs Want
Dec 21, 2008 02:58:31 PM | Linda Cureton
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- I can't expect people to read my CIO mind to understand what I want. So, here is my wish list.
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Consumerism and the Irrelevant CIO
Nov 29, 2008 02:13:16 PM | Linda Cureton
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- iPhone, uPHone, we all scream for iPhones. Consumerism is the comet that threatens the Jurassic CIO. The fittest CIOs are the ones with the right amount of courage, creativity, vision in their leadership DNA.
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A CIO Thanksgiving: Poopsies,Oopsies,and Technologies
Jan 01, 2009 06:20:31 PM | Linda Cureton
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- As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many people are pausing to give thanks for what they have. So, it seems appropriate for me, a thankful CIO, to take time out to reflect.
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To Serve Our Customers
Mar 10, 2009 03:14:41 AM | Linda Cureton
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- What does "serve our customers" mean? Do we assist them? Or do we consume them?
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But I Blog
Jan 01, 2009 06:22:32 PM | Linda Cureton
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- Why would a NASA CIO blog?
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