The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World

Being Where the Strategy Is Set

The word strategy is almost always associated with the highest levels of the business. After all, isn't it the CEO's job to set strategy? The answer is yes—in theory. But in reality, business strategy is set at several levels, most of them below the C-suite.

Lesson

The truly global enterprise is more than just a collection of businesses located in various parts of the world. The truly global enterprise strives toward developing common global strategies for delivering its products and services to real customers in real markets—wherever they are.

It's crucial for the CIO to grasp this central reality of business and to create an IT presence at the various tables at which strategy is discussed and developed. Basically, that means you need a process for matching IT people with the company's various business units. Jay describes the challenge and offers some great advice:

It's important for IT staff to be where the strategy is set. It would be great if every business person would come to you and say, “I have an idea and I think we need IT to be involved, please help.” Sometimes that conversation happens, but most of the time, that conversation doesn't take place or takes place much later than it should have.

That's the challenge you face: putting the right number of IT people with the right set of talents where the business strategies are set. I would say that your ability to assign those IT people correctly is paramount. This is something you really ...