The CIO Today: Technology Manager or Strategic Visionary?

by Sheleen Quish

What mix of skills and expertise makes for a good CIO? Over the years, there have been many lively arguments on the subject. While some believe that a CIO with no formal training or long-term experience in IT is not a "real" CIO, others contend that companies are looking first and foremost for executive leadership. In this issue, we consider the makings of a successful CIO. Hear how CIOs must be able to reason about IT and think strategically — and how these abilities will get you nowhere without the political instincts and skills to survive. Discover how one company healed the business/IT breach through a coaching program that produced the business technology leadership it so desperately needed. And learn how 21st-century CIOs will succeed only if they learn to "de-massify" their investments and embrace "forever learning." Join us as we search for the dream CIO: someone who can keep the lights on and use them to illuminate new paths for the business.