Trying to tell someone how to "operate with excellence" is like trying to explain what makes the latest movie star cool -- it's hard to describe, but we all know it when we see it.

For IT professionals, however, I believe that performing consistently, exceeding expectations and maintaining your own high standards are the steps that provide the most important foundation for operating in a way that earns confidence and is the basis for a strong bond of trust between IT and the rest of the business.

Although each situation is unique, there are some broad technical guidelines IT leaders should keep in mind:

Stay current with new and evolving trends. While gaining experience with each new release of every application on the market could be its own full-time job, all IT professionals should be familiar with advances taking place in both the technical and business areas in which they operate. This allows them to understand and relate their day-to-day work to their environments and to identify opportunities before they become problems.

Use current technologies, and make sure you have a good architectural foundation. A good system is one that works tomorrow as well as it works today and can adapt and scale to meet evolving needs.