--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An IT-friendly board should oversee the…" description: "\"“An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy with IT strategy as an integral component.”\" — Pearl Zhu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg" --- # An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy… ![“An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy with IT strategy as an integral component.” quote by Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg) > ““An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy with IT strategy as an integral component.”” [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective boards integrate IT into overall strategy, aligning technology with business goals. **In simple terms:** Boards should align IT and business strategy. Key Takeaway Align IT with business goals. Themes governance strategy technology Mood strategic analytical Type advisory instructional When to use this quote - corporate planning - digital transformation - risk management Key Concepts IT alignment board oversight Questions to Reflect On - How can boards build IT expertise? - What metrics best link IT to business outcomes? A Different Perspective Boards may lack technical expertise to evaluate IT proposals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boardroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardroom/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-strategy/) [Digitalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digitalization/) [Information technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-technology/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) ## Related quotes > [“The board of directors should take an outlier’s lens to criticize the business strategy via questioning wisely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-of-directors-should-take-an-outlier-s-lens-to-criticize-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The corporate board oversees the corporate strategy, and the business strategy is underpinned by business capabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-corporate-board-oversees-the-corporate-strategy-and-the-business/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Digital leaders today need to become more inquisitive, creative, and informative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/digital-leaders-today-need-to-become-more-inquisitive-creative-and/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Many foresightful boards invite CIOs to the big table for bridging gaps and harnessing communications to accelerate digital transformation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/many-foresightful-boards-invite-cios-to-the-big-table-for-bridging/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Digital board directors with the right dose of “doubt” are real critical thinkers who can ask deep questions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/digital-board-directors-with-the-right-dose-of-doubt-are-real/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital board’s IT inquiries help to clarify the strategic role of IT in maximizing business potential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-board-s-it-inquiries-help-to-clarify-the-strategic-role/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The board directors see the development of strategy as a collective effort between themselves and management, rather than a question of “us versus them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-directors-see-the-development-of-strategy-as-a-collective/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“How deeply the corporate boards can dig and which questions they should ask will directly impact on the success rate of IT investment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/how-deeply-the-corporate-boards-can-dig-and-which-questions-they/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Diversification is a component and in some cases a very good initiation of value creation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/diversification-is-a-component-and-in-some-cases-a-very-good/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Innovation is too important to leave solely in the hands of the management team without any oversight or guidance by the boardroom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/innovation-is-too-important-to-leave-solely-in-the-hands-of-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Good policy makes good things easy to do, and bad things hard to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/good-policy-makes-good-things-easy-to-do-and-bad-things-hard-to-do/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The board updates policies for adapting to the digital new normal for both enforcing the effectiveness of strategy management and harnessing business governance maturity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-updates-policies-for-adapting-to-the-digital-new-normal-for/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital board directors need to be independent thinkers, unbiased communicators, wise advisors, flexible facilitators, and global leaders these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-board-directors-need-to-be-independent-thinkers-unbiased/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The board’s oversight of information management agenda helps to highlight the strategic perspective of IT and improve its differentiated value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-s-oversight-of-information-management-agenda-helps-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital boards today should be informed on what benefit is being delivered by IT and aware of constraints and risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-boards-today-should-be-informed-on-what-benefit-is-being/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## More by Pearl Zhu > [“By manifesting creativity from an individual endeavor to a team activity and a collective effort, the horizon of creativity is expanded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/by-manifesting-creativity-from-an-individual-endeavor-to-a-team/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“We need to choose to continue to learn, grow, and empower people to learn and grow as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/we-need-to-choose-to-continue-to-learn-grow-and-empower-people-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Be courageous to listen to what you don’t want to hear and have the guts to be innovative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/be-courageous-to-listen-to-what-you-don-t-want-to-hear-and-have-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital boards today should be informed on what benefit is being delivered by IT and aware of constraints and risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-boards-today-should-be-informed-on-what-benefit-is-being/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Applying the right procedures and policies to asset management allows IT to create a realistic budget with few surprises, and keep best practices to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/applying-the-right-procedures-and-policies-to-asset-management-allows/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Knowledge does not stand still; it flows into the company, and it flows out of it; it erodes, and it gets created again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/knowledge-does-not-stand-still-it-flows-into-the-company-and-it-flows/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Running IT as a business, IT performance has to be clearly linked with the business performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/running-it-as-a-business-it-performance-has-to-be-clearly-linked-with/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The corporate board oversees the corporate strategy, and the business strategy is underpinned by business capabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-corporate-board-oversees-the-corporate-strategy-and-the-business/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Outlier” CIOs have better capabilities to connect innovation dots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/outlier-cios-have-better-capabilities-to-connect-innovation-dots/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The great communication is not to create more gaps but to bridge the difference and encourage creativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-great-communication-is-not-to-create-more-gaps-but-to-bridge-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Keep mindfully insatiable curiosity. It starts with your attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/keep-mindfully-insatiable-curiosity-it-starts-with-your-attitude/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The board’s oversight of information management agenda helps to highlight the strategic perspective of IT and improve its differentiated value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-s-oversight-of-information-management-agenda-helps-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Some problems seem irrational as they are caused by people’s emotional reaction to a set of circumstances or events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/some-problems-seem-irrational-as-they-are-caused-by-people-s/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Problem-solving is about seeing a problem and actually finding a solution to that problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/problem-solving-is-about-seeing-a-problem-and-actually-finding-a/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Capability stands you out; capacity scales you up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/capability-stands-you-out-capacity-scales-you-up/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) [Explore all 442 Pearl Zhu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## More Boardroom quotes > [There is no discussion inside this boardroom to say we've got to get into this or that. We look at every growth opportunity on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-packer/there-is-no-discussion-inside-this-boardroom-to-say-we-ve-got-to-get/) [James Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-packer/) > [“The digital boards today should be informed on what benefit is being delivered by IT and aware of constraints and risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-boards-today-should-be-informed-on-what-benefit-is-being/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The corporate board oversees the corporate strategy, and the business strategy is underpinned by business capabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-corporate-board-oversees-the-corporate-strategy-and-the-business/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Without a clear definition of success, board discussions can become disjointed, with members focusing on different priorities and potentially conflicting agendas. It can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr/without-a-clear-definition-of-success-board-discussions-can-become/) [Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr/) > [“The board’s oversight of information management agenda helps to highlight the strategic perspective of IT and improve its differentiated value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-s-oversight-of-information-management-agenda-helps-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Politics exist in the boardroom, as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/politics-exist-in-the-boardroom-as-well/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [“The composition of boards should reflect approximately the profile of the company’s stakeholders, such as shareholders, employees, customers, and suppliers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-composition-of-boards-should-reflect-approximately-the-profile-of/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Every authentic leader needs to mind certain gaps and bridge the cognitive difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/every-authentic-leader-needs-to-mind-certain-gaps-and-bridge-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The deeper you can perceive the holistic digital impact, the further you can reach the digital vision and pinnacle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-deeper-you-can-perceive-the-holistic-digital-impact-the-further/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital board directors need to be independent thinkers, unbiased communicators, wise advisors, flexible facilitators, and global leaders these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-board-directors-need-to-be-independent-thinkers-unbiased/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [We don't see enough women in the boardroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughton/we-don-t-see-enough-women-in-the-boardroom/) [Chris Hughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughton/) > [If you DON'T have diversity around your boardroom table, then what is wrong with you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-sklar/if-you-don-t-have-diversity-around-your-boardroom-table-then-what-is/) [Rachel Sklar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-sklar/) > [“The board updates policies for adapting to the digital new normal for both enforcing the effectiveness of strategy management and harnessing business governance maturity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-updates-policies-for-adapting-to-the-digital-new-normal-for/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Good policy makes good things easy to do, and bad things hard to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/good-policy-makes-good-things-easy-to-do-and-bad-things-hard-to-do/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Innovation is too important to leave solely in the hands of the management team without any oversight or guidance by the boardroom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/innovation-is-too-important-to-leave-solely-in-the-hands-of-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) [Browse all 96 Boardroom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardroom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy with IT strategy as an integral component.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pearl Zhu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the-business-strategy-with-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boardroom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the-business-strategy-with-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/pearl-zhu-621_boardroom_an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the_2509130.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An IT-friendly board should oversee the business strategy with IT strategy as an integral component.” — Pearl Zhu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pearl Zhu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“An IT-friendly board should oversee the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the-business-strategy-with-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/an-it-friendly-board-should-oversee-the-business-strategy-with-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```