CompTIA’s Future Leader Award winner shares his thoughts on the rapid development of the IT industry and the importance of communication skills. Kyle Mills’ philosophy of learning and “translating”, has been applied to many organizations, including a startup and a healthcare company. He also works for a distribution company. His achievements include growing a startup with 16 employees to a bustling marketing firm employing nearly 500 people. He has always approached projects with an open mind, and a willingness to learn so that the information his team shares to the world has the maximum impact.
Mills, ScanSource’s director of channel marketing, was recognized for all his efforts and has been awarded the CompTIA 2022 Future Leader Spotlight Award. This award recognizes Mills’s work in a CompTIA corporate member company by demonstrating success as an entrepreneur or industry professional.
Mills spoke recently with CompTIA about leadership strategies, modern workforce, and more. Here’s what he had to share with us:
Why is it important to be a future leader?
“Any leader who is successful should always think about the future and how they can improve their leadership skills and help their teams. You risk losing your team’s energy and drive if you remain stagnant, using only tactics that you have learned years ago.
What are the current trends and challenges in the IT industry?
“The modern worker has changed dramatically over the past two years, both in IT as well as the workplace. Companies must consider the comfort of the worker at home and at work. The employee’s transition from home to work, or home to work, must be seamless. Can they connect securely and remotely from anywhere? Can they connect remotely and securely from anywhere?
“Work from anywhere” is what I use, rather than ‘work at home’. There are many things that can stop your employee from working from home. Maybe their internet goes down and they have to go to the library or coffee shop. Companies must ensure that they are able to work efficiently. Otherwise, productivity is lost.
How can you work with CompTIA in order to address these issues and increase awareness?
My company had to quickly accommodate all our employees who were working from home when the pandemic began. My job was in healthcare and there were many security processes that we had to follow. We had to make the shift seamless. We were able to quickly put our systems in place and educate our staff about security thanks to CompTIA.
“Now that I am in distribution, in modern communications segment, CompTIA is a resource I use to create content about the IT industry’s rapid evolution and awareness. CompTIA’s community emphasizes making IT understandable for all levels of employees, which is rare in IT. CompTIA is a great resource for me and my company.
What are you most proud about in your career? And what has helped you get to where you are today?
“I can confidently say that I am most proud of the people I have managed to grow in their careers and become leaders in their respective fields. They may not always choose the career path they want, but I believe in finding happiness in whatever you do. Otherwise, you won’t make an impact. When I can help someone understand this, I know that I have succeeded as a leader. I was able at a young age to make that impact on others, which has brought me great joy in all my career choices. It’s something that I want to do for the rest of my life.
It may sound cliché, but listening to others has helped me get where it is. Listening to my colleagues, clients, and employees helps me learn so much from people in different roles. As someone who is starting a new career, I tell them to be open to all possibilities.
What advice would you give MSPs and other tech companies regarding developing leadership skills?
“I was a freelance copywriter in various industries early in my career. I learned quickly that most people read at a fifth grade level. It was shocking at first and made me rethink my writing. But, I soon realized that it wasn’t about the grade but how people process information.
“People understand things at their own paces and with different words. Leaders must remember that you are not only communicating messages to people in your industry but also trying to help other people understand the topic. Word of mouth is still the best form of marketing. It is a sign that someone knows you are skilled at comm.
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