“Leading with Technology”

Lisa DiDonato, CIO, Lee County Clerk of Circuit Court, and Comptroller, is outgoing, collaborative, and proactive; all qualities of a good leader. As a technology leader, she enthusiastically persuades and motivates others by having them consider her point of view while adjusting her own accordingly. She has an intuitive understanding of team cohesion, dynamics, and interpersonal relations, working with and through others. However, as the CIO, Lisa must also be independent in putting forth her ideas, which are often innovative and cause change when implemented.

There are few women leaders in Information Technology, and that number narrows when speaking about government. Florida has a population of approximately 21.5 million people, but there are only 67 independent Clerks in the State of Florida, meaning only 67 Clerk CIO positions. “The number of females in those positions is under 10%. So, when we do find each other we tend to stick together! Women are open thinkers; we like to process out loud and bounce ideas off of each other without fear of judgment,” says Lisa. “I enjoy meeting new people and am very proud of my personal and work accomplishments. As such, I find it very easy to share how I have progressed and succeeded, enabling me to provide suggestions and advice to others as to what has worked for me and what has not.”

Lisa likes to give the managers and their teams creative control. According to her, independence fosters growth, and micromanaging does not. People learn from their positive and negative experiences, and having the team make decisions on their own enables them to become better leaders.

“As you gain experience and make better decisions, people then gain confidence in themselves and in turn others,” she says and maintains an open-door policy. “Depending on the situation I can be a friend, a mentor or a disciplinarian. Regardless of providing insight, advice, or reprimand, I try to do so with empathy and options for the next steps. You’ll often hear me say, People First. Whether it’s a quick happy hour or having dinner at a conference. These informal sessions are where you learn the true heart of a person and make the most impact.”

One of Lisa’s proudest achievements is the creation of the Lee County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Agency’s first IT Strategic Plan. Only after the plan was formalized and enacted was technology truly aligned with business processes; by aligning with the business, the IT strategy documented business context, key initiatives, and roadmaps delineating timelines and metrics for success. The plan was step-by-step documentation that walks one through how to properly align with the business, achieve IT excellence, and drive technology innovation. “This document catapulted my organization into creating an Agency-wide vision. Each line of business now has its plan defined, ensuring we are all connected, collaborating, and being successful.”

The steadfast leader enjoys spending time with her family and basking in the Florida sunshine as there is never enough time to be spent on a boat and jet skis outdoors in the fresh air. “I volunteer as the President of the local high school boosters club, as a foster mom for kittens at the local animal shelter and as an administrative assistant at my church. However, my most calming hobby is being a fish keeper and aquarium enthusiast.”

Armed with a lot of passion and drive and her mission to help improve the lives of her team, internal users, and the agency’s customers, Lisa is surging ahead in her mission to make a change. “The vision is to ease the daily and mundane tasks providing more room for innovation and creativity; allowing for even more positive and passionate attitudes to emerge and thrive while in the office,” she adds. “Once you break that glass ceiling, what you find on the other side is a great group of people where gender is no longer the main focus. It’s all about the people, the business's process and improvement, and delivering on the strategic vision. The collaboration and support are amazing. It’s not always lonely at the top.” WL