Reflection: Thought Leadership
“A thought leader is someone who shapes how people think in an industry. It’s a role that can be both thrilling and delicate, because people act on what they think.”
While working in the federal space as both a contractor and a federal employee over the past 18 years, I have been fortunate to work with people who value the time and effort I’ve invested in learning and mastering the concepts and frameworks that form the foundation of my expertise.
I’ve found that my work in the federal space—particularly around strategic IT portfolio management, CPIC, and IT governance—has naturally led to influencing perspectives on how agencies approach IT investments. This influence stems from demonstrating the tangible value of implementing these frameworks effectively and showing how they can be integrated with broader IT management processes.
By connecting CPIC and portfolio management with IT governance, program/project management, risk management, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, and acquisition planning, I’ve helped stakeholders see the bigger picture:
--Streamlining and consolidating data to reduce silos and eliminate duplicative requirements
--Visualizing the IT landscape to identify redundancies and inefficiencies
--Tracking funding flows to ensure transparency and accountability
--Driving cost savings and cost avoidance through smarter IT investment decisions.
What I’m learning is that influence doesn’t come from prescribing solutions—it comes from enabling understanding. When leaders see how these processes work together to create a more agile, secure, and cost-effective IT environment, they become champions for change themselves. It’s about shifting the conversation from compliance to strategic value, and that’s where real transformation happens.
