Behind the Firewall: Notes of a Punk CIO

Years ago, I watched a masterclass on leadership in complex environments. The speaker didn’t show slides of org charts or fancy models—instead, he brought in a jazz band.

Each musician knew their instrument, but they also listened closely, adjusted in real-time, and gave space for others to lead. There was no conductor. Just shared rhythm, clear trust, and the ability to improvise. It was a simple but powerful metaphor for high-performing teams.

That metaphore stuck with me and I more and more believe most tech teams don’t need a conductor either. They need a shared groove—and a culture that makes it possible to play well together, even when the tune changes.

So here you go, some thoughts below on what I think that leaders can do to shape this supportive culture in real life.

Yes, sometimes you need heroes – but don’t build a culture that depends on them

There are moments when someone has to go above and beyond. Deadlines crash. Incidents happen. And yes, a few people might save the day.

But if your organisation always relies on “hero mode,” something’s broken. You’re running on adrenaline instead of rhythm. Hero culture often hides poor processes, unclear responsibilities, and slow decision-making. It also burns people out.

The real goal isn’t to avoid hero moments—it’s to make sure they stay rare. When a healthy system is in place, the team prevents fires instead of constantly fighting them.

Start with trust – and challenge the illusion of control

An executive once told me, half-jokingly: “You know Alpar, trust is the basis of every good relationship. But control is the basis of trust, hahahaha.” I laughed, but I also disagreed.

This mindset might feel safe in the short term, but it builds fear and dependency. People end up doing only what’s asked, not what’s needed.

In contrast, I think great individual relationships and as a result great teams start with trust. You trust your people to try, to speak up, to learn their ways and most importantly to own their work. Not blindly – but visibly, openly. You still have clear goals and honest conversations, but you invite people to share the team goals and you give them room to grow to solve the problems. That’s where accountability comes from – and not from instructions, checklists and controls, but from shared ownership.

Speak simply, or you’ll speak alone

If your message is too polished, people stop listening. If it’s too abstract, they won’t know what to do with it.

I’ve seen this firsthand recently — in hockey, not IT. My son’s youth coach used to say, “You need to grow balls.” But that message didn’t help the kids much. What worked better was translating that into something concrete: “I need you to go net front. That’s where it hurts, but that’s where we win. I need three hits per game, and I want you first on the puck.” Simple language makes performance visible.

And that’s just as true at work; so instead of saying “increase ownership” say “This decision is yours. Own it from start to finish.” Or: don’t say let’s “drive synergies.” Say, “Work together to remove the overlap between these two tools/teams/etc..”

When you speak clearly, (you increase the chance that) people will know what to do—and that’s half the job.

Make it safe to say ‘this isn’t working’—but don’t create a culture of complaining

Psychological safety doesn’t mean anything goes. It means people feel safe to point out problems and offer honest feedback – if they also feel responsible for improving things.

I think the difference between complaining and constructive feedback is intention. Complaining stops at frustration, feedback says, “Here’s what I’m seeing—and here’s a way we might fix it.”

Healthy culture invites challenge, but also expects contribution. That’s the balance. You don’t need endless positivity, you need truth—spoken with care, and directed at making things better.

Don’t be a firefighter—be the gardener

Being a gardener for me means designing an ecosystem that grows capable, resilient people. You remove blockers, create clarity and give space for people to learn. I believe leading in this context more means helping the system perform – and not solving everything yourself. In this sense, the gardener is the long-term antidote to the hero :-).

One last thought: I’m not writing this because I’ve figured it all out

Me and my team are still wrestling this, getting culture right is hard. But one thing I’ve learned: if you want performance, don’t kill the very signals that create it. Don’t punish mistakes people admit. Don’t reward quiet obedience over bold contribution. Don’t turn culture into an abstract poster on the wall (or 100 pages ppt).

Instead, watch how your team behaves when things get messy – that’s your real culture.

And if you don’t like what you see, start playing a different tune.