Juniper Networks CIO Analyzes Profession Choices for Leaders on the Prime

Sharon Mandell, chief data officer of Juniper Networks, has held numerous CIO and CTO roles over the previous 25 years, every constructing upon her earlier expertise and matching her present life part. In her present function, Mandell is accountable for IT technique and implementation for an enterprise that provides high-performance networking and cybersecurity merchandise to service suppliers, companies, and public sector organizations. 

In a latest electronic mail interview, Mandell mentioned the choices out there for CIOs trying to additional advance their careers. 

What needs to be the following logical profession step for a present CIO? 

That basically is determined by the person CIO, their time within the function, the scope of their tasks, the dimensions of the businesses they’ve labored for, and most significantly, their private pursuits and aspirations. 

The following step might be one other CIO function at a bigger firm in the identical trade, or a shift to a distinct trade — smaller, same-sized, and even bigger — if the problem is compelling. It might be a smaller group with a mission or alternative that you just’ve all the time wished to tackle. 

Some CIOs tackle adjoining or further capabilities — buyer help, engineering, advertising, HR. I have never but seen a CIO transfer into CFO or chief counsel, however with the correct background, it is not out of the query. 

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You may step right into a COO and even CEO function. Some [CIOs] transfer into enterprise capital or advisory roles. There is no single “proper” subsequent step — it is about what is smart to your distinctive path and goal. 

When is the perfect time to make a profession transfer? 

Once you really feel such as you’re not having a big impression or including significant worth in your present function. I’ve typically felt taking up new roles can really feel like being thrown into the deep finish of the pool — fully overwhelmed at first, however finally you develop a imaginative and prescient and start driving change. When these adjustments begin to really feel incremental as an alternative of transformative, it might be time to maneuver on. 

Typically, alternatives present up whenever you’re not actively wanting — one thing that fills a niche in your background, stretches you in an enormous method, or presents a problem you’ve all the time wished to tackle. Even if you happen to’re pleased the place you’re — not that the CIO function is ever really snug — you’ve acquired to be open to these moments. 

When is the perfect time to remain in place? 

I do not like leaving a task once I’ve taken a threat on a challenge, a know-how, or a change and have not but seen it by way of to a stable or steady consequence. 

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I additionally do not need to depart a management workforce holding the bag, particularly if I have been pushing them exterior their consolation zones. I would like my friends to grasp why I’ve made sure choices, and that often means staying lengthy sufficient to ship actual outcomes. 

That mentioned, typically alternatives will not wait. You’ll must weigh whether or not staying to complete one thing or making a transfer presents extra long-term worth. On the finish of the day, I would like the folks I depart behind to need to work with me once more ought to the correct alternative come up. 

What is the largest mistake CIOs make when planning a profession transfer? 

Chasing title, status, or compensation as the only driver of the choice, or assuming that “larger” is all the time higher. 

On the finish of the day, what issues most is the folks you encompass your self with, the impression you are in a position to make, and what you study alongside the way in which. The precise function ought to stretch you, problem you, and assist you to contribute meaningfully to the group’s success. That’s what makes a profession transfer really price it. 

Is there anything you want to add? 

I’ve by no means been somebody who obsessively mapped out a profession trajectory. I’ve made choices primarily based on what felt proper for my life on the time. There have been factors once I took smaller roles as a result of they gave me the stability I wanted as a single mother. I handed on massive alternatives as a result of I did not need to relocate. I’ve moved forwards and backwards between CIO and CTO roles greater than as soon as. 

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The widespread thread has been this: I search for roles that problem me, broaden my perspective, and provides me massive new experiences to develop from — even when I do know they will not be simple or enjoyable. These are those that construct grit, resilience, and keenness. 

The cash, title, and scope are inclined to observe if you happen to execute effectively. I could not find yourself with the largest job or the very best wage, however I’ve had one heck of a journey, and that’s what makes all of it price it.