CIOs: Get out of the Tech Department and Be Business Leaders

There’s a tectonic shift happening in C-suites around the world. CIOs, once restricted to dark and dusty tech departments, are taking center stage. As this gradual realignment accelerates, the leading chief information officers of the future will no longer just be tech specialists -- they'll be leaders.   

In the past, CIOs were experts, and their knowledge was narrow but deep -- they fed into decisions on software, infrastructure, and cybersecurity but were cordoned off from wider business strategy. Some chief information officers themselves have even contributed to this, happy to conform to the stereotype of being technical experts and detail-oriented, without the business skills to steer entire businesses with long-term strategic decision-making.   

As generative AI finds widespread application, cybersecurity threats continue to ratchet up the pressure, and big data is fed into all business decisions, technology and its effects reverberate far beyond the narrow confines of the IT department. All businesses are now tech businesses -- whether they see themselves as one is beside the point.   

The CIOs of the future will therefore need to have a much broader range of tools in their arsenal than has previously been expected of them. To insulate their firms from tech-driven disruption and to drive value from new opportunities carved out by emerging systems, they must invest now in their leadership skills.  

Related:How to Identify Innovation Opportunities In-House and Externally

The first way that this will benefit their firm is that businesses increasingly require visible and vocal leaders to drive wider business strategies. C-suite executives can no longer hide behind the brand name -- their customers, clients, and consumers want to see leadership on the business issues of the day.   

CIOs can’t just leave this to their CEOs -- they have an opportunity to partner with the CEO. A board-level strategy is more likely to reach more people -- a variety of voices will spread the net wide and land with a variety of demographics. So, CIOs must step up to the plate and pull the line. However, they also have a unique perspective and expertise on tech, which could be lacking in the CEO or wider C-suite.   

This also applies internally -- it's not just customers who want leadership, but employees as well. CIOs must become vocal ambassadors for the technology function within their company. Tech departments can’t be siloed off, and the most successful businesses will be those who can establish strong business and technology partnerships across the company. 

Related:What New CIOs Act On First and Why

CIOs have a crucial role to play in ensuring that team members from outside the tech department connect tech with the wider business strategy. Not only will this guarantee that all business decisions have the required amount of tech expertise fed into them, but strong internal leadership from the CIO will also drive buy-in for tech initiatives across the whole business.   

Like all employees, tech team members need motivation -- they aren’t just robots who can be expected to write software day in and day out. Strong public leadership from the CIO at the top of their department is one of the best ways to drive motivation, ensuring that the tech team is firing on all cylinders, and isn’t tempted to leave for a competitor. The best talent wants to work for the best leader -- so CIOs must showcase their skills, expertise, and experiences in the public arena if they expect to attract and retain top tech talent.  

For too long now, CIOs have neglected their leadership potential -- to prepare their firms for the future, they have to change this. So much of tech culture is geared toward dismissing soft skills like leadership as having no quantifiable value or something that will never apply in the realm of code, AI and software.  

I have slipped into this mindset before myself -- it's easy to restrict yourself to what you know and not step outside of your comfort zone. To resist this impulse, one of the best decisions I made was investing in an MBA, which helped me unlock my leadership skills and enhance my long-term business strategic thinking.   

Related:10 Ways IT Leaders Can Encourage Employees to Be Greener

An MBA might not be the right route for every CIO, and there are lots of other paths available for them. Leadership is personal, and each CIO will find their own way there. It is less important which path they take as long as they do it. CIOs can no longer restrict or restrain themselves as tech specialists – they have to take the leap and become leaders. Not just for their own sake, or for the sake of the talent, but for the business outcomes they need to achieve for their company in the modern age of AI.