Leadership is a necessary -- and critical -- quality in the IT domain as well as in other business arenas. IT people, however, tend to enter the field primarily as technologists and often attain leadership positions without recognizing the qualities that are essential to be a successful leader. In this issue of CBR , Cutter Consortium Senior Consultants David Caruso and Kerry Gentry address the meaning of leadership and how to identify and cultivate those IT professionals who possess leadership qualities.

The ability to use and have command of metrics are essential skills for the agile IT executive. In this issue of CBR , Cutter Consortium Senior Consultant Michael Mah provides a look at the emerging discipline of metrics and benchmarking and then frames the discussion in terms of using reliable information to make high-stakes decisions.

Business performance management has generated considerable interest among organizations worldwide. Is it just the latest IT buzzword destined to die out in a few months, or is it here to stay? In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, Cutter Consortium Senior Consultant Curt Hall presents the results of a recent study on the acceptance and benefits of BPM, predicting that the adoption of BPM practices will enjoy steady but moderate growth through the end of this year.