the info-tech research group
Striving To Be CIO: A How-To Guide
CIO, VP of IT, or MIS Manager - whatever the appellation, the role has significantly evolved
from its roots in the basement world of mainframe tech support.
Today, hundreds of letters and e-mail pour into executive career counseling offices, all asking
the same question: "What requirements are necessary to obtain the CIO position in my
organization?" The answer is:
·
Business Leadership Thinking
·
Delivery of Information Technology Services
·
Communication Skills
·
Agent of Change
Key Note: Applying for the CIO position without the proper qualifications does
not leave you in a 'nothing to lose' position. Statistics show that applicants
applying for senior positions are well documented and remembered. Don't feel
that you can apply now, one year from now, and so on. Think "impact" on your
first shot!
Action Plan
Use these top five CIO prerequisites to determine whether you should apply for the job now
or work on building up your portfolio to meet these standard requirements first.
1.
CIOs must show remarkable leadership ability. Leaders stimulate ideas and
coax the best from, and give recognition to, all those around them. Leadership is
the very best career currency one can have.
·
To find out more on how to become an excellent leader, click
an excellent Leadership and Management Research Center.
2.
CIOs must show an expertise in aligning and leveraging technology for the
advantage of the enterprise. Specific facets of technology, such as ERP, Web
infrastructure, e-commerce, Customer Relationship Management, Sales Force
Automation and Data Warehousing, are all examples of applications that the
CIO must govern, bringing together interoperability, increased functionality and
streamlined support.
·
To find more valuable information on aligning and leveraging technology,
be sure to click on this link: "
."
3.
CIOs must demonstrate superior relationship skills, exemplified through
management and communication. CIOs and other C-level officers and
business unit leaders must show clear, established relationships with each other,
as well as proficiency in directing and supervising people, projects, resources,
budgets, vendors and business partners. They must also demonstrate the
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