It is always interesting to me to see how different parts of the country are dealing with the rapid change in the business and technology landscape. It is often easier to spot trends on the ground, rather than at a distance. So, it was my pleasure last week to speak at the Technology Association of Iowa's (TAI) Technology Summit. In seeing and hearing about trends in different geographies, a larger and more coherent view of the technology landscape comes into view. As Einstein once notably said: "If I can picture it, I can understand it."
So, what can we learn from the picture in Iowa? What does the technology landscape look like regionally, and what can it help us understand about technology nationally and internationally?
Iowa’s diversified, business-friendly, and increasingly urban economy offers a clear lens on national tech trends, combining strong employers and growth with a tight labor market. Beyond core tech topics like security, cloud, and innovation, leadership has emerged as pivotal for scaling ideas and driving digital transformation. The article argues that T-shaped technologists who pair technical depth with leadership, communication, and critical thinking are most in demand. Developing these influence and interpersonal skills is essential to build culture, accelerate delivery, and advance careers in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
First, one might guess that Iowa's economy is largely agricultural. However, during recent years Iowa's economy has become less tied to agriculture, and is now a mix of manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services. As of 10 years ago, Iowa's raw agricultural output represents less than 4% of its gross product.
Notably the population of Iowa has increased at a faster rate than the U.S. overall. Another surprise: Iowa now has a predominantly urban and business friendly population. Scored in 10 individual categories, Iowa was ranked 1st when it came to the "Cost of Doing Business," a category which include all taxes, utility costs, and other costs associated with doing business. Downtown Des Moines is a surprisingly thriving urban area. The economy is booming, and 3,300 new housing units are currently planned or under construction in the downtown area alone. In 2010, CNBC listed Iowa as the sixth best state in the nation for doing business. A 2017 Forbes survey placed Des Moines as #5 on its best place list for business and careers. Major employers in Des Moines include:
A talented workforce, impressive education ranking and strong business economy all factor into these accolades, writes my colleague Ami Sarnowski in the Des Moines Business Record article, CIOs Need to Rethink How to Attract Tech Talent. Her perspective explores how to attract tech talent amid tight labor markets. Additional reasons major employers choose do to business in the region include
Still, business leaders here have their share of challenges: Iowa's low unemployment rate, at 2.5%--the second lowest in the nation--indicates there's a labor shortage, a trend that's likely to continue, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS expects employment to grow faster than average through 2024, as technology evolves and technology expertise is needed.
Other challenges that we see nationwide also impact business and technology teams in Iowa. Delivery needs to be faster and nimbler to meet quarter-to-quarter business demands. Topics such as digital transformation and leadership, Agile, and digitalization are of interest -- if they are business focused, can deal with challenges presented by legacy systems, and are effective.
TAI's Summit also provided some interesting insight into what is important in technology. The four conference tracks were
The first three are unsurprising, with sessions on topics like DevOps, blockchain, big data, and AI. Leadership was also a major track, along with topics like managing change, culture, and leadership in technology. Why did leadership merit its own track in a technology conference? Increasingly, tech leadership skills determine whether great ideas scale and deliver results.
A few years ago, seeing or hearing about a leadership track at a major technology conference would have been unusual. Technology conferences were about tools, technology platforms, and the details of architecture and code. But not anymore. We are talking about leadership as a major theme critical to our industry and our success, and we see this across all geographies and industries.
Most technologists have spent more than 40,000 hours acquiring an undergraduate degree in computer science or technology. In most cases, very little of this time has been spent thinking about or learning about leadership, or how we interact with team members, our business, and other stakeholders to drive success. In teaching about leadership in graduate computer science and engineering courses at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, I start with this simple statement from Leadership Patterns for Software and Technology Professionals:
Leadership begins with leading yourself and changing the way you think about yourself, your career, and your work. You don't have to be in a role where people work for you or be idealistic and wildly talented to do this. It starts with you and how you look at yourself, your environment, and those around you. ... You must recognize, accept, and embrace the fact that you are a leader. Like all leaders, you will make mistakes, learn, and grow from them.
Want to create a thriving culture? Think leadership. Looking to join an innovative and creative organization? Find its leaders, and how to develop your own tech leadership skills. Businesses technologists who can combine depth in technology with leadership, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills are going to have long and exciting careers in technology. This mix of both depth in technology and breadth in terms of these skills are referred to frequently as T-shaped skills. Doing a web search on these skills in technology yields 87.4 million results. What is driving this trend?
Nationwide technology staffing searches show that of the skills requested, these leadership and interaction skills comprise over 60% of the skills employers are requesting. We are a long way from the days when a technologist would simply spend their days interacting with a computer screen. We also must be able to lead and influence people and the businesses we interact with daily. Leadership track sessions at the conference were packed and overflowing.
As an industry, we are waking up to the fact that value creation depends on both leadership and technology skills, and their wise use to solve increasingly complex business problems. These capabilities sit at the heart of digital transformation and leadership initiatives. Developing only technology skills without these other soft skills hamstrings companies and careers. For companies and technologists that don't want to get left behind, they are the way forward in our digital economy. This is the view in Iowa, nationwide, and throughout the world. Tech is not just about technology anymore, it is about people, interactions, listening, and the ability to think critically to solve bold new challenges in a rapidly evolving world.
What are your next steps in developing these leadership and influence skills that are required for a successful technology career both today and in the future? TAI conference attendees would tell you that now is the time to change the way you think about your technology career, and engage and learn more about the interaction and leadership skills needed for the future.
Answer: Iowa’s economy has diversified well beyond agriculture into manufacturing, biotech, finance/insurance, and government services, with raw agricultural output now under 4% of gross product. It’s also increasingly urban and business-friendly, with strong employers and top rankings for cost of doing business. Pair that with a very tight labor market (2.5% unemployment) and continued employment growth expectations, and you get a clear view of challenges seen nationwide: rapid digital transformation needs, talent scarcity, and the rising premium on leadership and interpersonal skills to turn tech investments into business results.
Answer: In addition to a talented workforce and strong education rankings, Iowa offers low costs of doing business, ample available land, low energy costs, a high share of renewable energy, and low natural disaster risk. Des Moines, in particular, has a thriving urban core with thousands of new housing units planned or underway and a roster of major employers (e.g., Wells Fargo, Principal, Nationwide). These fundamentals draw companies even as low unemployment creates hiring challenges.
Answer: Because leadership now determines whether great technical ideas scale and deliver business value. Beyond tools and platforms (security, cloud, innovation), teams must manage change, shape culture, and align with the business amid legacy constraints and faster delivery expectations. Staffing data show more than 60% of requested skills are leadership and interaction-oriented, underscoring that influence, communication, and critical thinking are as essential as coding for successful digital transformation.
Answer: T-shaped technologists combine deep technical expertise (the vertical bar of the “T”) with broad leadership, communication, and critical thinking capabilities (the horizontal bar). This mix enables them to collaborate across functions, influence stakeholders, build positive culture, and accelerate delivery—capabilities central to solving complex business problems. As tech becomes increasingly about people, interactions, and outcomes, T-shaped talent is becoming the industry standard.
Answer: Begin with self-leadership—shift your mindset to see yourself as a leader regardless of title. Seek opportunities that build communication and stakeholder engagement (e.g., leading a sprint review, facilitating cross-functional workshops), learn change management and culture-building practices, and pursue mentorship or coursework focused on tech leadership. In short: proactively engage with the business, practice influence in everyday work, and invest in interpersonal skills alongside your technical growth.