“Genius and virtue are to be more often found clothed in grey than in peacock bright.” Van Wyck Brooks

People who are successful in business tend to get promoted; they become valuable to their employees because they understand how to make money in their industry. You may know someone for whom business success comes naturally, seemingly without rigour or process. They may be masters in the art of business.

Unfortunately for those managers comfortable in their role, the business world is changing. It is not enough to know the art of business; you also need to understand how to leverage information technology.

The most disruptive force paradoxically comes from business analysts. If the business analysis is done well, it lays bare all the inefficiencies and errors in existing processes. From that you can build a new business environment based on really good IT that provides, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency.

Managers who embrace this opportunity will continue to rise; those that don’t will not only hobble their own careers, they will probably do real harm to the business they are trying to grow.

How good are you at the art of business?