Chief Information Officers or CIOs are important employees in any company and handle a large number of responsibilities. Apart from managing the employees to leading projects and beating deadlines, there are several qualities and skill sets that a CIO is required to possess. Owing to the increasing importance of IT in any business today, the role of a CIO is also more prominent. Here are five of the most important skills, qualities and traits that are desirable in the ideal CIO.
Building relationships within the company
As a functional company, you are bound to experience tension and friction between the IT department and other teams. As a CIO, you should be adept at relationship building and connect IT with sales, marketing and other critical departments of the company. A majority of your relationship building credibility will come from your ability to deliver and maintain a standard.
Change management
Change, whether on a strategic, organizational or business process level, can affect all departments of a company. As a CIO, you are responsible for handling these changes and protecting your department from any untoward developments. Managing your team when a company is undergoing drastic changes is an important skill for a CIO that keeps the company moving forward.
Business knowledge and technological acumen
Although CIOs generally head IT departments in a company, they are required to understand business in its entirety, its different processes and how they integrate with the employees. To develop effective IT strategies, it is very important for the CIO to have expertise over business processes. CIOs should understand all aspects of a company’s business processes even if they are heading a single department.
Risk management
Every time your business invests in a technology, your company undertakes a few risk elements in terms of change, security as well as availability. However, by always avoiding risky technological investments, your company could miss out on innovative and often critical technologies. With proper risk management protocols in place, you can keep your company steady when experimenting with new IT investments.
Accountability and taking responsibility
Any employee in an executive position should understand the importance of delivering on promises and taking responsibility when you cannot deliver. Without these traits, your post as a CIO will not be considered credible. By being accountable for your team and the project, you are showing courage and leadership. Without standing up for yourself or your employee’s mistakes, you may not learn to behave like a leader or become successful.
