October 25, 2010, 11:57 AM — In the new book The CIO Edge: Seven Leadership Skills You Need to Drive Results, the trio of authors argue that CIOs' leadership and people skills are the biggest determinate of their success--or failure.
The book, written by Graham Waller of Gartner Executive Programs, and Korn/Ferry's George Hallenbeck and Karen Rubenstrunk (formerly with Korn/Ferry's CIO practice), doesn't downplay the fact that CIOs still need to be operationally sound: keeping the proverbial trains running on time while managing to tight budgets.
But the most effective CIOs build strong partnerships with their employees, business peers and external partners--a type of "followership," suggest the authors.
"CIOs understand they need to manage IT processes in order to deliver results and to meet key expectations. They also understand the need to lead people in order to deliver on those goals," notes Waller, in a Gartner Symposium/ITxpo report. "However, what many don't understand is the incredibly important interplay between the two."
[ Read why CIOs need to be both operationally fit and strategically sound in CIO.com's The New New CIO Role: Big Changes Ahead ]
The book's insight is based on three years of data-driven research, the authors say, which allowed them to identify seven behavioral patterns and essential skills most critical to a CIO's success. From the Gartner report, here is the list:
1. Commit to Leadership First and Everything Else Second. Gartner and Korn/Ferry's research reveals that the highest performing CIOs are effective because they embrace the idea that everything they need to accomplish will be achieved through people, by people, and with people. They don't pay lip service to that idea. They live it. They lead.
2. Lead Differently than You Think. A high-performing CIO is an incredibly complex and creative thinker. Yet when the time comes to lead, they don't rely on their superior "smarts" and analytical skills to come up with the best possible solution. They act collaboratively.
3. Embrace Your Softer Side. Effective CIOs manage the paradox of gaining more influence by letting go of control and allowing themselves to be vulnerable. In turn, that vulnerability enables them to create deep, personal connections--connections that provide the ability to inspire people both inside and outside their organization.
