Trust and Partnership: Strategic IT Management for Turbulent Times

CHAPTER 17

Requirements for CIO and IT Leadership

We stated our Principles for Strategic IT Management in the introduction to Part II. One specifically targets CIOs and leadership:

Senior business and IT management provides support for the business–IT relationship and provides leadership throughout the life of the relationship. IT leadership creates business-focused culture and nurtures the best relationships within IT and with the business. The CEO and business leadership establish the environment for the partnership, the roles to be played, and the necessary commitment and motivation.

Chapter 17 summarizes this book from the CIO perspective, and makes seven basic statements, or messages, to the CIO, IT management and IT professionals.

1. The CIO and IT managers have important “To Do's” on their lists.
2. The business–IT partnership requires CIO and IT management leadership.
3. Enterprises need Strategic IT Management and the aptitudes described by the seven enterprise IT capabilities. Coping with business and technology turbulence requires these capabilities.
4. The CIO needs to manage the technology well; this is necessary, but not sufficient.
5. Authority, control, and “reporting to the CEO” are not sufficient to produce the required results.
6. Be faster. Be flexible.
7. A proactive leadership approach and vision are required.

In addition to these messages, this chapter will ask the CIO and IT managers several questions (see for example, Exhibit 17.2 and 17.4). These questions sum up the ...