Traits of a Great CIO

Bangalore: Being a CIO is no walk in the park, particularly when you are allotted the cardinal responsibility of maintaining the critical balance of meeting the technological goals set by the board level executives as well as ensuring a healthy and rewarding work environment for the staff. As such, it becomes imperative for a CIO to adopt a dynamic role where he, keeping aligned to his corporate obligations, earns the respect of his co-workers, reports Dennis McCafferty of CIO Insight.

Below is the list of 10 prerequisites that a CIO should adhere to in order to achieve the status that marks a great CIO from a good CIO-

1) Lead from the front: A CIO needs to take the initiative to undertake important strategic decisions instead of following the usual route laid out.

2) Be daring: In order to facilitate growth of an enterprise, a CIO should think out of the box and be courageous enough to take risks that might turn out to be profitable in the long run.

3) Be modest: Modesty plays a crucial role when it comes to a CIO earning the respect of his co-workers. It also makes him more approachable to discuss issues and come up with viable solutions.

4) Give Space: A CIO shouldn’t pressurize his programmers and analysts too much in order to achieve a set target. Ample amount of space should be provided lest his subordinates will be cramped up, resulting in average outcome of products and services.

5) Build partnerships: A CIO should try building partnerships with executives from the other departments as well like the CFO or the CMO in order to have a better understanding of their needs and requirements.

6) Walk the talk: A CIO should learn to be accountable enough to accomplish the tasks assigned to them within the limited timeframe and budget allotted to them.

7) Be optimistic: A CIO should be optimistic in his approach to various ventures which in turn motivates and inspires his co-workers.

8) Be convincing: Having the ability to persuade in order to acquire the green signal from board executives for projects which he thinks would generate revenue for an organization is another trait that CIOs need to instill.

9) Accept failures sportingly: A CIO should also be valiant enough to own failures instead of indulging in blame-games.

10) Incorporate new trends: A CIO should keep pace with the changing trends and adopt the technologies that he finds most suitable to the overall progress of the organization.

Instilling the above characteristics will brand a CIO as the quintessential leader who has the potential to lead the IT sector to the pinnacle.