This episode is a personal account of Alex Clixby, a former British Army officer who has become a civilian Interim CIO. Alex shares how his military training prepared him for leadership in civilian life and the unique challenges of fractional interims managing multiple clients at once. Alex also delves into deeper and personal challenges that put all these things into perspective.
Alex is a fractional interim, providing services to many clients. He runs an on-demand CIO service called One IT.
He was a commissioned officer in the British Army for 16 years and has worked as a civilian for the last 13, working with businesses to improve their IT, transform their ways of working, reduce spend, and ultimately help them achieve more.
- From Military to Civilian CIO: Alex spent 16 years as a commissioned officer in the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals, the IT arm of the military. He discusses how his military experience, which taught him leadership, management, and working under pressure, provided a strong foundation for his transition to a civilian IT leadership role. He highlights one key difference between military and civilian work as shifting from a "black and white" command-and-control approach to a more collaborative and democratic style.
- The Fractional Interim CIO Model: Alex explains that a fractional CIO works for multiple clients simultaneously, providing on-demand IT leadership. He currently juggles seven such roles and discusses the challenges and skills required, such as discipline and time management, to balance a large number of clients and their varying needs. He also touches on the importance of mastering administrative tasks across different platforms.
- Assessing Client Needs and Building Trust: When starting a new engagement, Alex conducts a five to seven-day review to assess all elements of a client's IT service, including people, processes, technology, and risk. He explains that building trust with new clients is crucial and he achieves this by presenting not only where the problems are, but also how to fix them and make improvements. He emphasizes that the fresh perspective of an interim CIO can quickly identify issues and create a clear IT strategy and roadmap.
- The Pros and Cons of an Interim Career: Alex prefers the variety of challenges that come with a fractional role over a single, permanent position, as he can easily get bored. However, he acknowledges the downsides, such as the occasional feeling of loneliness and the emotional toll of stepping away from projects and colleagues after an engagement is over. He also shares how this career path allows for a better work-life balance compared to a full-time role.
- A Personal Mission: The conversation concludes with a deeply personal and inspiring segment where Alex shares his recent diagnosis of Stage 1 prostate cancer. He explains how he has used his experience to raise awareness among men about the importance of getting a PSA blood test. He also recounts his recent achievement of cycling 150 miles to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, demonstrating his commitment to turning a personal negative into a positive.
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