25 years ago, Digineer was founded in the midst of change, Y2K, the dot.com boom. In those 25 years, we have seen a little company called Apple go from nearly out of business to becoming a behemoth. We've seen a spunky little start-up start selling books online and goes on to revolutionize online eCommerce. We've seen technology empowering the masses to overthrow government

And when Digineer was founded, we were passionate about helping IT leaders improve their businesses, deliver better results, and deliver a better experience for their employees.

A lot has changed in the last 25 years, and as we sit here today at the beginning of the new year, we are also uncertain. A lot of new technologies. If you are not in the cloud, you are already too late; if it is not on a device, you are probably behind, and who knows AI, Machine learning, and Robots. Change is inevitable; what makes the difference is your company's approach to change. Change needs to be your friend and not your foe. In addition to joining professional organizations, attending conferences, and staying on top of tech trends, here are a few ways to level up

Reach out and network with people who interest you and discover what new initiatives they find exciting and remember to include asking the question who interests them.

Creating your own "kitchen cabinet "is a bit of a loaded phrase politically, but in leading a company, I have learned that collecting a small set of "unofficial advisors" can help keep you abreast of what's happening in the business climate.

Listen to the people who work for you for industry information they might have sussed out or for potential changes within your own organization. Allow employees to bring new perspectives and seek to implement them. "It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked two years but will be soon out of date"- Roger Von Oech.

Look for parades to lead. Computer scientist Alan Kay aptly stated the best way to predict the future is create it.