Evolution Not Revolution: Aligning Technology with Corporate Strategy to Increase Market Valuation

Well, I enjoyed reading this book. It was not a light read. My feeling is that a broader set of concepts is there, and some of it sounds similar to the typical book about improving your business, but if you really think through the ten chapters and how they define a technology executive, then you see this is a new approach. So I recommend this book for you if you will take the time to read it. The introduction and early chapters feel a little dated, references to Enron, etc. before the meltdown, but keep reading.

When I first saw the title I didn't really know what it was about. In general, I enjoy reading business books. I read this book because John Logan is the founder of the Aberdeen Group so I thought he must know something or have something to say about business. Mr. Logan is a very bright man. I would strongly recommend this book if you like to read books about how to improve your business.

A good read, more than just common sense and strategy. Enterprise quality executive direction and more. A laser level for the C level.

Logan offers ten "competencies" or skills, as a guide to those who want to become more effective "technology executives." Throughout the book, this ideal "technology executive" is profiled as a model to emulate - not merely an IT professional, not merely a business functional expert, but truly a person whose vision and attitude encompass both perspectives. And Logan says that an organization must have, or hire, or develop this new kind of leader, at every level and in every business function and unit, in order to survive in today's Competitive Economy. That's because today and henceforward, the strategic initiative inevitably involves the introduction and rollout of advanced technology. The success of such initiatives, if aimed at making the organization more competitive (increasing market share and rate of growth), will dramatically impact the overall market value, or the value to clients and stakeholders for a non-profit or government organization. There is a lot here, and the reading is a little heavy at times, but more than worth the effort. A good summary and synthesis at the end of each chapter helps distill the ideas, and could serve as a skill-building checklist for the aspiring technology executive, regardless of whether you are coming from a pure IT or a pure business perspective. MBA's will find some re-packaging of current and familiar ideas, but Logan's intent is not to provide an overview or survey of the field, but rather to support thinking in a new way about the challenge of increasing real market value in today's world.

I'll keep this short. Most tech/business books are constructed on a foundation of between 1 and 10 luminous insights. Generally, these are shared within the first few pages and what makes the book a book are anecdote after countless anecdote that support the insights. One finishes -- if one finishes -- with little idea of how to implement the actions described in chapter 1. Logan's book is quite a departure from that formula. Yes there are insights; sure there are anecdotes; but once his framework is established, he builds layer upon layer of meticulous guidance on how to drive the valuation-boosting ENR concepts into rapid, tangible results in the enterprise. One couldn't hope for more.