IT's seven deadly career sins

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Ferrell suggests that such working stiffs often have more leverage than they think. “One of the perks to being indispensable is that you can do pretty much whatever you want,” he says. “By definition, you mean more to them that they mean to you. Don’t be shy about taking advantage of this.”

That may mean requests to outsource or hand off noncritical work, or even to hire an assistant or apprentice. If such entreaties fall on deaf ears, and your last vacation is a distant memory, Ferrell suggests more extreme measures: “Make a few mistakes. Nothing catastrophic, just not up to your usual quality of work,” he says. “When questioned, explain that you’re exhausted and find it difficult to remain focused. Make it clear by implication that things could go downhill rapidly unless you get some time off. If they still don’t get the message, escalate until they do.”

7. Saddling your department with bad hires. One of the hardest things to get right is hiring and firing. “Hiring correctly is the most crucial because delivering IT is about the people,” Golden Gate University’s Hill says. “You’ve got to have the right people and the right skills. I look for a fit that involves three areas: technical, experiential, and cultural. If there’s a misalignment with any of those three, you’ll spend a lot of your managerial attention dealing with people problems.” Hill says he won’t let people go for making a mistake or for a skills gap if they’re willing to learn. “I let people go when people don’t want to do what they need to do to be successful.”