Fostering Innovation

47Switching Jobs

Average CIO tenure has remained steady at around five years, worse than every other C-suite role.⁵³ CIO longevity was even shorter back in the dot-com boom-and-bust period, and there's anecdotal evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated CIO turnover once again. The race to digital is on—and CIOs who aren't driving the digital train will be run over by it.

If you're a sitting CIO, this is your reality: you need to keep your suit pressed and your résumé updated. If you're on the path to becoming a CIO, this is good news—opportunities are out there. Recruiters will often say, “The client will consider a strong number two.” Up-and-comers are younger, more in-tune with digital, and more diverse. These attributes are very attractive to companies right now. “As has been the case for several years, application development provides the most common route up for today's CIO, with 43% of CIOs coming up through this function.”⁵⁴

If you're an up-and-comer looking to become a CIO, CTO, CDO, or whichever three-letter abbreviation for IT leader is in vogue right now, times have never been better. Remember, what got you here won't get you there. Focus on developing leadership skills, and be brave enough to let your hands-on tech skills atrophy.

If you've been in the business for decades, you need to stay modern and relevant. The ill-fitting suit and cream-colored résumé you used for your old job aren't sufficient for the next one. While I love to reminisce about big ...