Key Attributes of an Effective CIO

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for a company's internal information systems / the infrastructure required to maintain and communicate information. Although fairly new as an executive role, the CIO has come to be a standard role in organizations now. Despite this, many organizations struggle to turn the CIO position into one of leadership.

Since organizations differ quite extensively with their structure and corporate culture, the role of the CIO requires adaptability. CIOL recently explored how newly-appointed CIOs need to set themselves up to become credible business leaders by:

• Preparing for surprises, even after due diligence
• Using the first 90 days to learn about the organization
• Recognizing that what worked for you in the past may not be successful again
• Building a shared vision for the role and contribution of IT
• Building C-Suite IT savvy by delivering demonstrative value

The role of the CIO must be customized to the political environment, company culture and strategy as a whole. If you are able to demonstrate how IT can enable key business strategies and generate value, the CIO role can become less about "tech" and more about business strategy.

"The strategic importance of information is clear - and it is the CIO's responsibility to work with C-suite colleagues to make sure that this information is harnessed in the most beneficial way."

Does your organization have a CIO?