The Governance Paradox

IT departments are frequently buffeted by whiplash projects, thrown back and forth between proactive and reactive, while often balancing capacity. Eventually someone will propose some form of Architecture Review Board (ARB).

The IT goal - prevent the sprawl of technology, get visibility into projects before IT resources are needed or committed, maintain a strong security posture, reduce technical debt and prevent integration problems or redundancies.

Narrow constrained channels are not necessarily a problem. The Strait of Hormuz is a high capacity corridor that provides a far more efficient route for Gulf products to world markets than other realistic alternatives. The same geography that makes the passage strategically sensitive also makes it economically valuable. If it were not the shortest or most useful route, so much trade would not depend on it.

🌊 The Chokepoint We Don’t See

The Strait of Hormuz is a name you have been hearing frequently over the last few months, but not one that you likely heard a lot about before the current conflict started between the United States and Iran. It is geographically a very small body of water that controls a very large portion of the flow of global energy, roughly one-fifth of global oil in 2024. When that narrow passage is disrupted, the effects do not remain local. They ripple through energy prices, financial markets, supply chains, and household budgets.

📖 Book Overview

Title: The Model Thinker: What you need to know to make data work for you

Author: Scott E. Page

Published: 2021 (expanded edition)

Genre/Focus: Popular Science

🧠 Why I Read This

As part of my ongoing Doctoral research into Business, Accounting, and Artificial Intelligence, I sought out this book to deepen my understanding of model-driven thinking—a critical skill for modern leadership. Data models are the often-hidden underpinnings of the Information Age, and much of what people refer to as “AI” today is actually fast, layered modeling. My goal was to sharpen my ability to interpret, apply, and challenge models effectively. The Model Thinker delivered valuable tools that I am already applying in strategic decision frameworks.

Introduction

As Simon Sinek says “Start with why”. When you know the why you are wanting to use the AI model the other questions and answers can follow relatively easy. Current AI as sophisticated as it may be - is still what is known as ’narrow’ this means they are built for specific tasks and contexts. These specific tasks and contexts may be expansive but the range of the expertise is relatively narrow. Due to the AI’s being narrow it’s necessary to be literate in the many models that are available and what they excel at vs what they are just ok at vs what they cannot do at all.

Welcome to Sharpstone.blog

Hello and welcome to Sharpstone.blog! I’m Randy Haas, an IT professional with almost three decades of experience spanning the full spectrum of technology—from infrastructure to development, information security, and leadership. This site is my platform to share insights, trends, and practical advice at the intersection of technology, leadership, finance, and accounting.

My Journey

My career began in the trenches of IT infrastructure: designing networks, configuring switches and firewalls, building servers, managing databases, and planning data centers. Over time, I expanded into software development and information security consulting, honing a deep understanding of how systems—and the people who run them—work together. In recent years, I’ve led teams implementing and optimizing enterprise platforms like ServiceNow and Salesforce, blending technical expertise with strategic leadership.

I recommend reading "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans"

I just finished up "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans" by Melanie Mitchell. It was a great, quick read. I recommend it to anyone that wants a great primer on AI with or without a background in tech. Mitchell does an excellent job making complex topics approachable and sharing metaphors and examples that make AI's nuances understandable for non-specialists. Dr. Mitchell manages to explore the topics to a certain depth without drowning you in tech speak.

One of the great buzzwords of the last several years has been EQ, or emotional intelligence.  John Maxwell ranks this as the most important form of intelligence because it is behind our ability to connect with others.  In this time of social distancing, unrest, injustice, and uncertainty about the future connecting with others is the most important thing we can be doing.  

IT professionals, in particular, can reap benefits from focusing their #leadership and their teams on raising their emotional intelligence. Zoom and Webex meetings take away some of the personal touch, as our interactions tend to be hyper-focused and lose the nuances gained by a handful of interpersonal meetings during a typical workday. These nuances can be the difference between cohesiveness and a functionally competent but unengaged team.