The CIO Desk Reference: Critical Competencies Every CIO Must Master

Essentially, the highest-performing IT organizations have breadth and depth in leadership, and recognize that today's climate further emphasizes its value. Respected for their knowledge, their ability to make decisions, and their courage to do what is right, leaders are the most important asset within any IT organization striving to make the best impact on the business. Motivated by a core set of values centered on trust, teamwork, and truth, these leaders drive an IT organization, as well as its partners and suppliers, to excel. These organizations attain the highest levels of productivity, often in spite of the roller coaster ride of changing economies, changing business plans, and colliding markets.

Beyond leadership, however, lie process and discipline. Our research indicates that CIOs, being leaders first, excel at the following:

We believe that, as the role of the CIO continues to change, the focus should not be on whether business or technology background is most important for a CIO. Nor should the focus be on the CIO s industry experience or lack thereof or on management acumen. Effective CIOs are leaders first, process disciples second, and everything else a distant third.