Strategic IT: Best Practices for Managers and Executives

Chapter 9

Conclusion: New Directions for the CIO of the Future

This book has explored many conceptual aspects of the CIO position and how the role can help firms compete in a rapidly changing world. Case studies were presented to show why certain CIOs have achieved success with their firms. It is most important, however, for us to represent the apparent skills that are common among successful CIOs that appear to work in almost any organization. Hence, there can be no boilerplate methodology for the process of how to be successful with technology; rather it is a way of thinking and an ability to be strategic. Our research showed that there are 23 common attributes that CIOs must have for them to evolve the role in their firms. These attribute are more behavioral from an individual perspective, and philosophical from an organizational point of view.

In Langer's study of CEO perceptions of IT, he found that the role of IT was not generally understood in most of the organizations he surveyed, especially at the CEO level.¹ Little has changed according to the discussions and research we have had over the past year of writing this book. There appears to still be inconsistent reporting structures within the IT organization, and there is a fair amount of frustration of CIOs as effective “technology” strategists and as fiscally responsive members of their executive teams. Furthermore, there are still many non-IT executives who are not satisfied with IT performance, and while most agree that ...