More about IT Leadership and the enterprise

In my first blog I noted some topics that I would be trying to tackle: See below
Blog Title:
Best Practices in IT Leadership & Stewardship
Over time I'll be discussing my thoughts on the following and more;
- how the IT role should align with the business
- how does architecture fit in the big picture of the entire enterprise
- where and when does outsourcing really make sense
- how should any company approach business continuity (especially from the IT perspective)
- should IT be a leader of enterprise change and innovation
- what makes a strong CIO
- what makes a strong IT team
- what should a CEO look for in a CIO and why is it so important

In my last few posts I've covered a few of the above mentioned bullets at a high level, although I haven't done a very good job of tying it all together yet. So far I've talked about the following either directly or indirectly:
- should IT be a leader of enterprise change and innovation
- what makes a strong CIO
- how the IT role should align with the business
- how does architecture fit in the big picture of the entire enterprise

Well there are a few more subjects that are near and dear to my heart that I'd like to add before I forget them;
- Data Centers
- Green IT

I've had significant experience in Data Centers and have some strong thoughts about the Greening of IT. Over the years I've built or upgraded 4 different data centers and managed several others. I like to believe I've had enough experience to know what we need and what to argue against. I can't pretend to solve the entire data center question here, but I will try to give you thoughts on how to avoid setting a trap for yourself.

Building a data center comes with a huge number of opportunities and risks. These risks can be the difference between an efficient enabler of enterprise growth and an anchor that gets you fired. Like my breakdown of discussion topics at the top of the page I'm going to stop tonight by leaving a teaser of what will be coming in future installments.
What to Consider when contemplating the need for a new Data Center or Engineering Lab space
How to determine the size and appropriate density of your data center
Who should you look to as a partner and what should you prepare for when dealing with them
What are some of the major political and environmental factors that could/should influence your data center decision and potentially it's eventual design
Team psychology. (This is an interesting one, but you'll just have to wait for it.)
I'd also like to reference the Blog of someone who knows data centers very well.
http://blogs.sun.com/geekismHis name is Dean Nelson and he's the Director for Lab & Data Center space at Sun.