The Directors' Cut: David Taylor says get headhunted - again and again

There is a shortage of outstanding IT directors and CIOs. Companies who value their incumbents must ensure they put in place a retention plan that rewards well above the average in terms of both salary and influence. Board level membership will be a given for IT leaders who are prepared to take their companies into the new, virtual battleground, and lead the fight against the new competitors that are emerging every week.

If you are an IT director who has the right skills, and you share this with a belief in your own ability as a leader, the choice is yours.

You can take on a similar role in a new company, or join an IT service provider in a senior role, or start out as an entrepreneur.

Although there will be many 'specials' in the Sunday paper career pages, the majority of positions - in particular the most lucrative - are still not advertised. So, how do you attract the right phone calls?

There are two main ways to gain the attention of headhunters:

Profile
Make sure you are known in the industry for the excellent work you have done and skills that you have attained. Speak at the right conferences, become involved in organisations such as Elite, and be featured in the press. Keep your CV up to date - and keep it to one page.

Networking
Many IT leaders ask me the most important success factor in personal and career achievement, and the answer I always give is the same: networking.

Identifying, establishing and developing your relationships with other people is a hugely powerful way to develop yourself, and others.

Networking takes effort. It takes time to build up close contacts both inside and outside an organisation, and time is a precious commodity, so networking must be carefully managed for maximum benefit. However, it need not be a struggle. We crave human interaction and it is simply the lack of hours in a day that dictates our need to approach this activity in a structured, professional and focused way.

The benefits of networking are:

Visibility
This is a critical factor in successful leadership. Stand up for what you believe in - so few us do.

Awareness
Keep your ear to the ground, to the grapevine (which operates across industries as well as inside companies).

Learning
We all have a great deal of knowledge, skills and wisdom to share. Learn from others.

Camaraderie
A feeling of togetherness - the social interaction that is so vital to our self-esteem. It is a natural craving we all have and share.

Achievement
So much more can be achieved with other people, and the feelings of success are far greater.

Power
In many organisations, communities and industries, who you know plays a more important role than what you know. This may not be fair, or politically correct, but it is reality.

Reputation
Combined with your other activities and successes, your reputation will travel around by word of mouth - the ripple effect is amazing. However, make sure you build a reputation to be proud of.

Everyone has already established a network, perhaps without realising it. The challenge is to focus on, and spend time with, those that will help us achieve our aims, while ensuring we help them in equal and greater measure. These people should be identified - what are their aims? If you do not know them already, how can you meet them?

The simplest ways of widening your network is to attend conferences, seminars and peer groups. Once you have established contacts and built rapport, make sure you keep in touch with people. There is a true saying - help others while you are on the way up, as you may need them on the way down. So maintain your network way beyond any reasons for initial contact.

Some final tips:

- Never compromise your values or beliefs
- Always be there when someone needs your help
- Keep your word - at all times
- When someone takes you into their trust, never abuse it

Our busy and hectic lives call for a disciplined approach. Building rapport, trust and ultimately total loyalty is a powerful, long-term asset for anyone, and it is by doing this that you will widen your circle of professional colleagues.

Absolutely crucial to becoming known in headhunting circles is personal recommendation. Maximise every interpersonal exchange, and every opportunity to meet peers, financial directors and CEOs.

IT directors ready to shape destinies will find they have rather busy phones. To them, I offer the following advice: adopt the poise of a cat. Meditate quietly, and internally, on all of your offers and options. Then, when you know what you want, pounce. The future won't have a chance.