Technology Evangelist Leadership Survey

Prior to the recent GNote conference, organizational development consultant Frederic Lucas-Conwell conducted a extensive survey of a whole bunch of technology evangelists, me included. He presented some preliminary results at the conference and has just published the full paper. As he says in the introduction:

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the relatively new phenomenon known as the “technology evangelist.” By our exploration, we aim to help readers improve their management functions, and to understand how best to integrate “evangelists” within their organizations. There’s all sorts of interesting information in the report, including this neat observation:

The typical technology evangelist is perceived as capable of motivating and inspiring others to achieve desired results. A major characteristic of the role is largely perceived as expression of an engaging, empathetic communication style based upon warmth and enthusiasm. Success requires the ability to produce results by motivating the commitment and buy-in of other individuals. Yes, that’s for sure.

I’m really tired and not good at writing book reports anyway, so go read the full report!