Chapter 11 - The CIO Career Path Paradox
One important point: there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing the CIO position as the pinnacle of one's career. Many people are happy in that role and seek to advance no further. At the same, time, a considerable number of people see it as a stepping stone to another position, or who eventually want a change of pace.
It is not typically for the CIO to seek to move into a different silo, unless they have had previous experience. That is, they do not seek to become a CFO, CMO, or other role. The two most appealing roles to a CIO looking to advance are the COO and CEO positions.
From CIO to COO
Moving into the COO role is not easy, because it requires involvement in a broad range of activities that are not related to technology. At the same time, a CIO has likely been involved in initiatives across the company, and is likely the most qualified of his peers to move into the position.
However, mere exposure is not sufficient: the CIO must have been collaborative in his approach and successful in achieving results. If you have not established positive and productive relationships with the heads of other departments and do not have a track record of success in your role, these are goals that should be pursued before you think about reaching for the next rung.
The author provides a couple of case studies in which CIOs seemed to stumble into the role accidentally: providing technology support for various areas of the business got them a great deal of exposure, particularly because they looked beyond the systems to the ways in which resources and procedures would be impacted, and helped to plan business operations accordingly. (EN: This can be a dangerous game, as IT departments who insist the business must change to accommodate the technology they wish to deploy are often perceived as hostile.)
The author refers briefly to "six sigma" and "continuous improvement" fads in business, which enabled the CIO to have more ongoing involvement across the business, discovering ways in which technology could assist businesses in achieving the goals related to these models, as a way to form a more positive working relationship with a wider array of problems.
Another general suggestion is to overcome introversion. People in technology roles tend to be standoffish and subservient and do not speak out, and as such they are considered to lack the breadth of vision and initiative that is expected of a COO. It's particularly important to be overt, rather than furtive, to win trust and support.
Along the same lines, it is necessary to be more aggressive in pursuing goals. The CIO role often involves serving the business, where the COO requires running the business - such that a CIO who is constantly in "how may I help you" mode will not be seen as a strong candidate for the COO role.
You will also have to interact with and provide leadership to a broader array of personalities. To be blunt, a CIO is adept at managing nerds and geeks - but to step into the COO role, you will have to be capable of managing and motivating people with a broader array of personality types.
From CIO to CEO
Matriculating from CIO to CEO is a far more ambitious maneuver, which is even more rarely done. "With the exception of a technology company, it is highly unlikely that a company will promote a CIO directly to the CEO position," says one CEO who moved through a few other positions before making a bid for the corner office.
One of the main differences between the CEO and any other executive role is that it tends to be outward-facing. The CEO is the head of the organization, but most of his focus is on being a liaison between the employees and the board, investors, community, industry, media, public, and other external groups.
One bit of advice for an aspiring CIO is to run his department as if it was a separate business: hand over the management of day-to-day initiatives to others and instead involve yourself in interfacing with the heads of customer organizations (other departments) - this will help you develop the relationship-building skills that you will need as a CEO.
A CIO may also need to do a lot of studying, formally or informally, to learn about the business in general. He must be well-versed enough in business practices and the industry in which his firm operates to avoid "embarrassing himself" be being ignorant of fundamentals.
Per the opening note, it may be necessary for the CIO to look to make one or more lateral moves before targeting the CEO position, to gain a broad view of the business in general and break out of the technology silo.
Another bit of advice is to seek lateral moves, to be a technology executive in a number of firms. It's a careful balance between having diversity in your portfolio and seeming "jumpy," but developing experience in a broad range of industries can give you a better chance at executive roles.
In other instances a significant business initiative can propel the CIO into the CEO's role - particularly when technology is a barrier to growth (or provides opportunities for growth), it is arguable that technology will drive the business, and that a person whose primary strength is in technology is the right person to be at the helm.
An interesting bit, kind of an aside, is that a CEO has a view of the competitive landscape, not just the operations of your own firm. As such, a CIO must not only consider what a given technology could do you're your firm, but what it might do for your competitors.
Running a Technology Company
The most common route from CIO to CEO is in the context of a technology company, particularly when he company is spun off or made a subsidiary of a larger firm. One example was the CIO of a motel chain who developed a solution for automating the company's call center - and in doing so designed a system that could be sold as a technology solution.
Also in technology companies, the COO or EVP of operations tends to be a role that requires greater technological expertise, so it may be easier for a CIO to transition to a COO in such an environment.
As an aside, it's noted that when a CIO stumbles into the CEO role, and does not fail, people tend to assume that he is a traditional CEO with a broad background, so it's easier to make the transition from being CEO of a technology company to a firm in an entirely different industry.
Switching back, it's important to understand that there is a difference between real leadership skills and mere project manager skills. The project manager is merely coordinating resources to complete a specific task, with minimal risk and uncertainty, whereas the real leader does not have a clearly defined task and must deal with constant risk and uncertainty.
Another difference is that a CIO often does not need to "sell" solutions - he is responding to internal sponsors who already have an idea of what their problems are, and already think that technology can provide a solution. The CEO must be more of a salesman, discovering what is wanted externally and convincing people his company can provide a solution.
Finally, there's a n odd bit about developing skills and expertise in other areas in the context of providing a technology solution. Chiefly, it seems to consist of asking questions and seeking to gain understanding during the requirements gathering phase of projects, rather than merely listening with a technologist's ear and reducing discussions to data and functions.