The Five Types of Technologist

November 15 2018
 

Our new eBook explores five distinct types of technologist, assessing the personal strengths and attributes of each group - as well as the skills they need to develop in order to operate at a more strategic level and move towards becoming an Agent of Transformation.


agent of transformation

You may have already read about Agents of Transformation, the elite technologists who are blazing a trail within their organizations and industries, delivering innovation and positive, sustainable change.

This select group is equipped with the skills, vision, and determination to lead transformation and ensure their organizations and communities are able to adapt to rapid advancements in technology and harness it in the right way.   

But our research found that only 9 percent of technologists are currently operating as Agents of Transformation.

So where does that leave the other 91 percent? Where do they fit in to the transformation story?

A typical enterprise business is a fantastically diverse and vibrant place, full of highly-skilled individuals, each with their own unique personalities, experiences, and aspirations. Our latest research identified four more distinct typologies of today’s technologist:

Digital Pioneers have an optimistic and collaborative mindset and possess many of the skills required to drive change. They can be viewed as Agents of Transformation in waiting.

Untapped Heroes are the engine room of the IT department – task-driven technologists who have much of the data needed to drive change, but require the skills and vision to turn this into contextual, actionable insight.

Frustrated Innovators possess most of the skills and character attributes to drive innovation, but are hampered by the organizational environment in which he or she operates.

Disillusioned Dreamers are dependable team players, working hard every day to keep systems up and running – but have little opportunity to get involved in more strategic, innovation-focused projects and doubt their skills and abilities to drive change.

Our new eBook, The Five Types of Technologist, explores these typologies in detail, assessing the personal strengths and attributes of each group, and highlights the areas they need to develop and improve in order to operate at a more strategic level and move towards becoming an Agent of Transformation.

The eBook is essential reading for any technologist to better evaluate and understand their own role, skills, approach, and mindset – and to plot a path towards a more exciting and rewarding career.

It’s also a worthwhile read for senior business leaders and anyone who manages or collaborates with technologists. By identifying the typologies within their business, stakeholders can draw a better understanding of the skills, drivers, concerns, and aspirations of each individual technologist and provide him or her with the support, training, and opportunities they need to become more strategic and deliver better customer and business outcomes.

Calling on all technologists

While each type of technologist plays a vital role in delivering the IT systems on which their organizations depend on, the research emphasizes the need for all technologists to step up to meet the challenges of the next 30 years and embark on their journey towards becoming an Agent of Transformation.

We urge any technologist that feels they could or should be doing more to fulfill their own potential and ambitions to read our latest eBook and reflect on how and where they can improve.

The journey to becoming an Agent of Transformation is the lens through which all of us who work in the technology sector need to start viewing our jobs, our careers, and the wider world.

It is time for Agents of Transformation to take center stage.

Thomas Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt is Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer of AppDynamics with the mandate to fuel the growth engine of the company. Thomas leads marketing, commercialization and growth initiatives, business development (M&A), strategic partnerships, and corporate and technology strategy. Previously, Thomas was the Vice President/General Manager of Cisco's Cloud Analytics Business Unit, leading the company's expansion into application intelligence and sponsoring its $3.7B acquisition of AppDynamics. This group is now part of AppDynamics. During his career at Cisco, Thomas has taken start-ups from concept to #1 market share, scaled high growth ventures to $1B+ in revenue, and executed the cloud transformation for a multi-billion dollar portfolio. Thomas has been the General Manager for a range of businesses spanning analytics, cloud infrastructure, collaboration, and video. Thomas serves as a board advisor and angel investor for promising young tech companies. He is an honors graduate with a B.S. in Finance and in Managing Information Technology from Syracuse University, and completed the Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

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