Beating at the heart of every CIO's job is change -- a constant pulsing force, predictable only in its sheer relentlessness. Some IT people embrace it and feed off its energy. Many others curl into a mental ball of anxiety and pray for deliverance. But if the heart of your job really is about change, I contend that the soul must be -- or ought to be -- about motivation.

Derived from the Latin word "motivus" ("a moving cause"), motivation is a singularly powerful force in changing human behavior. As any IT leader will tell you, merely "managing" people isn't very satisfying. But inspiring those around you and persuading them to actually embrace change? Now that's a profoundly good time.