The 7 Moves
Seven core capabilities that separate high performing technology leaders from busy ones. These are the practical moves within the Become CTO methodology.
After studying 80+ technology organisations over 15 years, seven capabilities kept showing up in the leaders who created real impact. Not the busiest leaders. Not the most technical. The ones who moved their teams and organisations forward.
These seven moves aren't sequential. You don't master one before moving to the next. They work together, and different situations will demand different moves at different times. Your CTO archetype shapes which moves to prioritise, the LIT Framework shows which pillar each move develops, and the 4Ps map where the capability shows up across the 32 learning areas.
Master Yourself
Self awareness, emotional regulation, managing your energy, and understanding your triggers. This is the foundation everything else is built on. The best technology leaders know their strengths, acknowledge their gaps, and manage their energy like a resource.
Read more about Master Yourself →Deliver Relentlessly
Shipping, creating momentum, and maintaining a bias for action. Talk is cheap in technology leadership. The leaders who earn trust are the ones who consistently ship, create visible progress, and build momentum that the whole organisation can feel.
Read more about Deliver Relentlessly →Take Ownership
Owning outcomes, making decisions, and taking responsibility for both successes and failures. This isn't just about your team's work. It's about owning the business impact of technology decisions and standing behind them.
Read more about Take Ownership →Know the Mission
Understanding the business deeply enough to lead technology in the right direction. This means knowing the strategy, the financials, the customers, and the competitive landscape well enough to make technology decisions that actually move the business forward.
Read more about Know the Mission →Speak with Purpose
Communication that builds trust, creates alignment, and moves people to action. This covers everything from how you present to the board, to how you run your team meetings, to how you give feedback. Clear, purposeful communication is a force multiplier.
Read more about Speak with Purpose →Build Systems
Creating operating rhythms, processes, and structures that scale beyond you. This is where you move from being the hero who saves the day to the leader who builds a function that doesn't need saving. Systems thinking applied to how your team operates.
Read more about Build Systems →Grow Others
Developing your team's capability so the function performs whether you're in the room or not. Hiring well, coaching effectively, building leaders beneath you, and creating a culture where people grow. This is how you scale your impact beyond yourself.
Read more about Grow Others →