How Do CIOs Become CEOs? - IGI Global

DOI: 10.4018/JGIM.2019100101

Journal of Global Information ManagementVolume 27 • Issue 4 • October-December 2019

Copyright©2019,IGIGlobal.CopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIGIGlobalisprohibited.

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How Do CIOs Become CEOs?Ron Babin, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada

Ken Grant, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada

ABSTRACT

Theroleofinformationsystemsandtechnologiesinanymodernorganizationhasbecomeincreasinglyimportant.Concepts suchasdigital transformationanddisruptive technologieshavebecome thestrategicdirectionsfornewandestablishedcompanies.TheroleoftheChiefInformationOfficer(CIO)hasbeenlongestablished.Thiscase-basedresearcharticleexamineshowandwhenaCIObecomestheCEO.Thisisparticularlyrelevantasorganizationsembracetechnology-basedstrategiestocompete,andinmanycases,tosurvive.

KEywORDSCareer Opportunities, Case Studies, CEO, CIO, IT Leadership, Leadership

INTRODUCTION

Althoughrelativelynew,thepositionofaChiefInformationOfficer(theCIO)isnowwidelyacceptedasoneofthekeyC-suiteroles1.Withthecontinuouslyincreasingroleoftechnology,thedemandsofthepositionhavebeenchanging.CIOsarenowresponsibleformorethanjustprovidingtherighttechnologyandrunningtheITdepartments;theyareincreasinglybecomingleaderswhoactivelyparticipate in strategic business decisions. This transformation means that CIOs are required todevelopabusiness-focusedsetofskills,butitalsoopensnewcareeropportunitiesinotherleadershiproles.Specifically,anincreasingnumberofCIOsaremovingoutofthetechnologyleadershiproleandintoChiefOperatingOfficer(COO)andChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO)positions,eventhoughtraditionallythishasnotbeenacommoncareerpath.

The goal of our research was to examine the factors which can support or prevent careerprogressionfromCIOtohigherexecutivepositions.Thisreportisanoutcomeofatwo-phasestudysponsoredbytheCIOAssociationofCanadaandMITACS-Ontario.ThefirstphaseconsistedofextensiveacademicresearchandapilotstudyofagroupofCanadianCEOs.ItidentifiedkeycareercharacteristicsandpersonalattributesthatmayhelpCIOstogettoCEOorCOOroles.

Thesecondphaseofthestudy,whichwasalsosupportedbyexecutiverecruitingexpertsatKorn/FerryInternational,expandedtheinitialsampleandcombinedresultstoexaminecareerprogressionandpersonalattributesofsuccessfulCEOsandCOOsinthreeareaspreviouslyidentifiedinPhaseI:EnvironmentalFactors(focusingontheindustriesandemployersthattheexecutiveshaveworkedfor),WorkExperience(executives’responsibilitiesandjobexperiencesthatshapedtheirknow-how),andPersonalAttributes(softskillandemotionalintelligence).

Thisarticle,originallypublishedunderIGIGlobal’scopyrightonJune28,2019willproceedwithpublicationasanOpenAccessarticlestartingonJanuary13,2021inthegoldOpenAccessjournal,JournalofGlobalInformationManagement(convertedtogoldOpenAccess

January1,2021),andwillbedistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicense(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andproductioninanymedium,providedtheauthoroftheoriginalworkandoriginal

publicationsourceareproperlycredited.


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The article is organized as follows. First, we examine and discuss the relevant literatureregardingtheroleoftheCIOandhowCIOsmayprogresstobecometheCEO.Second,thecase-basedqualitativeresearchapproachisdescribed.Inthethirdsection,theresearchfindingsfromfieldinterviewsarediscussed.Next,implicationsforITleadersarepresentedwithamodelthatdescribeshowCIOscandeveloptheircareerstoCEO.Finally,anactionplanispresentedforCIOsconsideringtheircareerprogression.

LITERATURE REVIEw

TheliteratureregardingtheCIOroleandperformanceisbroadandwedrawonselectivepapersthatguidesthisresearchtowardstheCIOpromotiontoCEO.Similarly,asSchnatterlyandJohnson(2008)havepointedout,“…researchinCEOsuccessionhasbeenextensive—includingindividual,board,andfirmantecedents;successionplanning;andconsequences…”However,theliteratureonCIOprogressiontoCEOissparse,whichprovidesagapforthiscase-basedresearchtoaddress.

RegardingtheroleoftheCIO,HutterandRiedl(2017)presentacompellingmodelderivedfrom a meta-analysis of 98 papers that examined the CIO role. This research concludes with amodelthatsuggestsCIOs“areincreasinglycalledupontobeeffectiveinmultipleroles”,whichtheauthorsidentifyasBusinessThinker,InnovationDriver,StrategicSupporter,IntegrationAdvisor,RelationshipManagerandTechnologyProvider(p.21,22).Remenyietal(2005)furtherpointoutthat,“perhapstoagreaterdegreethanother“C’positions,it[theCIOposition]hascontinuedtobearoleundergoingconstantchangeandtransformation”,demandingdifferentskillsatdifferenttimesforsurvivalandsuccess.Further,inanearlypaperexaminingCIO/CEOrelationships,Feeneyetal(1992)foundthat,“…theClOsinthesesuccessfulrelationshipsmayhaveextensiveITbackgrounds,buttheyareacceptedintothetopmanagementteamandareseentocontributebeyondtheirfunctionalresponsibilities…”(pp.434-435).

InasimilarevaluationoftheCIOrole,Peppard(2010)concludesthatthepersonalcompetenciesoftheindividual,althoughimportant,arenotthesolefactorindeterminingCIOeffectiveness.Oneintervieweestates:“…CIOsneedtobefarmoredynamic,commerciallymindedandcommunicative…[theymustbe]acapablebusinessleaderwhounderstandstheminutiaofeveryaspectofthebusiness…Theyhavetobeaninfluencer,notjustadoerorafirefighter…”(p.77).PeppardoffersaCIOmodelwithsevencompetencies:Leadership,Visionary,StrategicThinker,RelationshipBuilder,Diplomat,Deliverer,ReadingtheMarket(p.79).Inasimilartone,Hunter(2011)pointsoutthattheCIO“…takesonmoreofabusinessemphasis,[sothat]experiencewithinoneindustrybecomesveryimportant.”(p.47).Further,Hunterstates“ACIOroleinvolveseffectiveleadershipforchangewithaviewtocontributingtocompetitiveadvantage.”(p.48).

TheCIOisoftenseenasthetechnologyandbusinessleaderindigitaltransformation,althoughtheroleofChiefDigitalOfficer(CDO)isanewpositionthatmaychallengetheCIO.SinghandHess(2017)suggestthattheCDOwilltakeontheroleof“orchestratingthedigitaltransformationofacompany”(p.1),whichmaychallengetheroleoftheCIO.Similarly,Heller(2016)pointsoutthattheadventofdigitaltechnologiessuchascloudservices,mobiletechnologiesandbigdataanalyticshaschangedtheroleoftheCIOfromsupportingorenablingthebusiness,toinstead“bethebusiness.”QuotingCIOsfromMarriottHotels,VanguardMutualFundsandotherorganizations,Hellernotesthat“CIOsaremoretightlyintegratedwithleadersfromotherdisciplines…interactionsaremuchbroaderandricherthantheywerefiveyearsago...Withdataatthecenterofthebusiness[wehave]nochoicebuttobethebusiness”(pp.xiii,xiv).Describingtheriseofdigitaltransformation,Hellernotesthat:“Whentechnologyisthebusiness,CIOshaveatremendousopportunity…”(p.13).WeillandWoerner(2013)examinedtheroleoftheCIOinaDigitalEconomyandfoundthatbusinessleadersexpectCIOstodomuchmorethan“provideexcellentITservicesatacompetitiveprice”andexpectthatCIOsneedtospend“moretimedeliveringbroaderbusinessvalue…”(p.74).Allof


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thissuggeststhattheCIOrolehasevolvedsignificantlyfromthetechnologymanagerofthe1980stothedigitalstrategistoftoday.

RegardinghowCIOsprogresstotheCEOposition,weidentifiedthreetheoreticalmodelswithspecific reference to CIO advancement. Gottschalk (2007) Supply-Side Model for CIO to CEOEvolutionexaminesthequalificationsaCIOneedstobeconsideredforthetopjob,describingthisastheSupplySideCIOQualificationsModel(May,2007).WhyDon’tMoreCIO’sBecomeCEO?ComputerWorlddrawsonPeters&Waterman’s(1982)traitresearch,whichsuggeststheexistenceofeightbasictraitsfoundingreatCEO’s.Finally,recentresearchfromDawsonetal(2015)suggeststhatthe“CIOsharessimilarcharacteristicstootherC-Suiteexecutives”suchastheCEOandCFO,intermsoftimeintheroleor“survivability”(p.97).

RESEARCH APPROACH

Ourresearchapproachusedacase-basedqualitativemodel,guidedbyYin(2009)andEisenhardt(1989). Yin suggests that case study approach is appropriate to “…investigate a contemporaryphenomenonindetailandwithinitsreal-lifecontext,especiallywhentheboundariesbetweenthephenomenonandcontextarenotclearlyevident…”(p.18).ThecaseapproachisappropriateastheroleoftheCIOcontinuallychangeswithnewdigitaltechnologiesandthesetechnologiesbecomingincreasingimportanttothebusinessstrategy.AsYinpointsout,“…youwouldusethecasestudymethodbecauseyouwantedtounderstandareal-lifephenomenonindepth…”(p.18),inthiscasethephenomenonofCIOpromotiontoCIO.EachCIOwastreatedasanindividualcase,withtheinterviewfindingscomplementbyareviewofeachinterviewee’sLinkedInprofile,corporateprofileandCV.

Inbrief,fromtheliteraturereview,includingacademicandtradeliterature,amodelwaspreparedtoanalyzeCIOcareerprogression.AsetofCEOswereidentifiedandcontactedtoarrangeforsemi-structuredinterviews.Theinterviewsweretranscribedandcodedtoidentifyhowthecommentsfitwiththepreliminarymodel.TheresearchfollowedEisenhardt’scasestudyapproach,whichsuggests“tentativethemes,conceptsandpossiblyevenrelationshipsbetweenvariablesbegintoemerge”bycomparing“systematicallytheemergentframewithevidencefromeachcase.Thecentralideaisthatresearchersconstantlycomparetheoryanddataiteratingtowardatheorywhichcloselyfitsthedata”(p.541).Athoroughreviewofthefielddata,includinginteractionswithCIOsandCEOsinterviewed,allowedtheresearchteamtoreviseandrefine(iterate)thepreliminarymodeltodeveloparevisedmodelthatcouldprovideusefuladvicetoaspiringCEOs.

Specifically,asafirststepindevelopingthemodel,fromthetradeliteraturesome50articlesorcareerprofilesthatdescribedaCEOwhohadformerlybeenaseniorITLeaderwereidentified,fromwhichwefound20tobeofsufficientdepthtobeusefulinourresearch.Next,weconsideredthethreetheoreticalmodelsrelatedtoCIOtoCEOprogression--Rambus’s(2006)CIOtoCOOSuccessFactors,Gottshalk’s(2007)Supply-SideModelforCIOtoCEOEvolutionandMay’s(2007)EightBasicTraitsoftheCEO.Finally,weexaminedtwofieldstudiesthathadexaminedaspectsofCIOadvancement:EgonZehnderInternational’s(2007):Future-StateCIO:TheNextStepinITLeadershipandChatham’s(2005)GettingToBeCEOviaaCareerinIT

Bycomparingthesesecondaryfieldsourcestothetheoreticalmodels,wedevelopedacompositemodelidentifyingthecharacteristicslikelytoleadtoCIOadvancement.ThepreliminarymodelisshowninFigure1.2

WethentestedthismodelthroughinterviewswithCEOswhohadpreviouslyheldseniorITroles.Weidentifiedandcontactedsome100potentialparticipantswhoprogressedfromtheCIOroleintoCEOorCOOpositions.Ofthose,29agreedtosharetheirexperienceaswellastheirthoughtsonCIOcareerprogressiondrivers.Amongallrespondents:

• 21heldCEOpositionsand8heldCOOpositions;• 14wereUS-basedand15wereCanadian-based;• Twowerefemale.


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Althoughmostparticipantscamefromatechnologybackground,forafew,theCIOrolewastheirfirstpositioninInformationTechnology.Theintervieweescamefromawidevarietyofbackgroundsandworkedindifferent industries including,amongothers,software,financialservices,utilities,pharmaceuticals,healthcareandeducation.

Thequalitativeinterviewsweresemi-structured,withamixofopenandclose-endedquestions,ensuring consistency of the analysis while at the same time allowing for respondents’ personalperspectives as suggested by Myers and Newman (2007). The participants shared with us theinformationabouttheirpersonalcareerpathsandtheirviewsonCIOcareerprogressionfactors,aswellasadviceforCIOsaspiringtoclimbthecorporateladder.

All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through a formal coding approach.Uniquecodeswereassignedtospecificcommentsandexaminedthroughtheuseofanautomatedtextanalysissoftwaretool.Thisapproachallowedustoeffectivelyanalyzealargeamountofdataandcomparerespondents’commentsinaconsistentmanner.

Weexaminedthedatatofinddifferencesbetweenvariousgroupsofexecutives(suchas:COOsvs.CEOs;orCanadianbasedvs.American-basedexecutives;ordifferentindustrytypes).Whiletheparticipants’backgroundsandprofessionalpathsvaried,thecorecharacteristicsofthecareerfactorstheydescribeddidnot.OurfindingsshowthatcertainkeyelementscaninfluencecareerprogressionofCIOsacrossvariousindustriesandcareerpaths.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

OurresearchshowsthatCIOsaremakingittothetop.Althoughthepositionisrelativelynew(incomparisontothewell-establishedexecutiverolesofCOO,CFOorCEO),CIOsarenowgainingtheirseatattheexecutivetable–notjustasITmanagersbutasbusinessleadersandpartnersinstrategicdiscussions.WhilecertainnegativeITstereotypesstillexist,successfulCIOsareableto

Figure 1. Factors likely to influence a CIO’s progression to CEO


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overcomethemandadvancetheircareersbyprovingthemselvestobeknowledgeable,engagedandbusiness-savvy.Indeed,researchfromInternationalDataCorporation(IDC)suggeststhatagrowingnumberofCEOswillhavespentaportionoftheircareersinatechnologyleadershiprole,inordertounderstandandleaddigitaltransformationprograms3withinthebusiness.

Basedonacomprehensiveliteraturereview,asshownearlierinFigure1,thefirstphaseoftheresearch identified three key categories of factors influencing CIO career progression: PersonalAttributes,WorkExperienceandEnvironmentalFactors.ThethreecategoriesalignwiththeHutter&RiedlmodeloftheCIOrole(2017,p.9)whichsuggeststhatCIOeffectivenesswillbesupportedbypersonal competence (PersonalAttributes),CIOhierarchicalposition (WorkExperience)andmanagementenvironmentandITinfrastructure(EnvironmentalFactors).

Data acquired from the expanded sample confirmed and validated this model. Despite ourrespondents’varyingbackgroundsanddifferentcareerpaths,wefoundthattheyallexhibitedquitesimilarcharacteristics.Thekeyfactorsamongthethreecategories(thosewhichweremostoftenmentionedanddiscussedbythe29participants)arepresentedinFigure2.Thetop14factorspresentedbelowaccountedforover62%ofallcodedcommentsrelatingtocareerprogressionfactors.Withinthatgroup,thetoptwofactors–increasedbusinessfocusandgoodatCIObasics–stoodout,havingreceivedsignificantlymorecomments(bothinnumbersandininterviewees’perception)thantheremainingfactorsandaccountfornearlyaquarterofresponses.

ThesefactorspaintthefollowingpictureofkeyCIOsuccessandcareerprogressiondeterminants.

Increased Business FocusAn increased business focus was exhibited by all participants and discussed considerably moreoftenthananyotherfactor.Alloftheinterviewedexecutivesdiscussedthiselement,oftenstressingtheimportanceofnotonlyunderstandingthebusinessbutalsobeingapartnerwhocanactivelyparticipateinandbringvaluetobusinessdiscussions.Asdescribedbyoneoftheparticipants,“…successfulCIOsweartheirbusinesshatfirstandtheirIThatsecond…”Frydman(2007)hasarguedthat,intermsofCEOhiring,wearewitnessing“ashifttowardgeneralhumancapitalfromfirm-specificmanagerialskills”.

BeingmoreattunedtothebusinessneedsisbothnecessitatedandfacilitatedbythefactthatITtouchesallaspectsofthebusiness.Today,allcorporatefunctionsaresupportedbytechnology,whichgivestheCIOauniqueopportunitytobeinvolvedinallpartsoftheorganization.Beinginvolvedmakes

Figure 2. Key factors influencing CIO career progression


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itmucheasiertoalignbusinessprioritieswithtechnologycapabilities,providingimprovedresults4.Thisapproachwasfurtherfacilitatedbytherespondents’experienceoutsideofIT,infunctionalroles.

Aspointedoutbyinterviewedexecutives,“…it’sveryimportant toput thebusinesscontextaroundIT…”andtohave“…aninstrumentalroleofhelpingthebusinessdeterminewhatappliedtechnologiesmakesense.Nottechnologyfortechnology’ssakebuthowdoweturnthattechnologyinto competitive value, market value, drive sales productivity, improve customer retention, andimproveprofitability…”CIOswhowereabletoanchortheirdecisionsinthebusinesscontextweremoresuccessfulandmorereadilyacceptedbyotherexecutives.

Good at CIO BasicsBeing good at CIO basics was the second most frequently discussed factor, mentioned by allinterviewees.TheabilitytoeffectivelydeliverITcapabilityisanaturalexpectationofCIOs.However,makingeverythingrunsmoothlyisonlypartofwhattrulysuccessfulCIOsbringtothetable.

Firstly,ITleadershaveto“maketheplumbingsimple”and“provethatyoucanmakethingshappen.”However,thisdoesnotimplyastrongfocusonafailure-freeenvironmentortheuseofthelatesttechnology.Aspointedoutbytherespondents,beingtooafraidoffailurepreventsmanyITleadersfromtakingfulladvantageoftechnology(whichsometimesrequirestakingrisks).Similarly,dependingonthebusinesscontext,followingthenewesttechnologytrendsmightnotnecessarilybetherightchoiceforanorganization.Itistheabilitytomitigaterisks(ratherthanavoidthem)andchoosetherighttechnologyforthebusinessthatmakesitpossibleto“executeanddeliverserviceattherightpricepointandattherightlevelofquality”.Thisiscloselyconnectedwithanincreasedbusinessfocusandbothfactorswereoftendiscussedtogetherbytheinterviewees.

AstheCIOresponsibilitiesexpandbeyondastrictlytechnicalrole(andbecomemorebusinessfocused)itisalsoimportanttofindtherightbalancebetweendifferentaspectsofthejob.Asoneoftheparticipantssuggested,“…ifyouspendtoomuchtimeonprocessyou’llfail,ifyouspendtoomuchtimeontechnologyyou’llfail,ifyouspendtoomuchtimeonpeopleyou’llfail…”Itisimportanttogetagoodunderstandingofwhatmixofactivitieswillmostadequatelyaddresstherequirementsofaparticularorganization.Asthischangesovertime,CIOsmustbeabletoadjusttheirprioritiesaccordingly.

Personal SkillsAmong the personal skills discussed by the interviewees, four were mentioned most often:executivelevelcommunicationskills,buildingrelationships,beinggoodatpeopledevelopmentandorganizationaldevelopment,andtheabilitytomotivatepeople.

Executivelevelcommunicationskillsarecrucialinbeingabletoworkwiththebusinessanddiscusstechnology-relatedissuesinawaythatisunderstandabletoallstakeholders,regardlessoftheirknowledgeoftechnology.Oftenreferredtoas“C-Speak”orExecutivePresence”(Goudreau,2012),theyneedtotalkinthelanguageoftopexecutives.Translatingcomplextechnicalconceptsintosimpletermshasbeenanimportantsuccessfactorfortherespondentsasitallowedthemtobringvariousstakeholderstoacommonlevelofunderstandingandcreateanenvironmentwhereeveryoneiscomfortableindiscussingtechnology.Oneoftheexecutivestalkedabouttheimportanceofproactivecommunicationwiththebusinessinthefollowingway:

If I were to ask a business person to give me a blank sheet of paper saying “hey what do you need?” I don’t think they would know how to fill that out. But if I went to them and said I can give you this (…) because that satisfies your needs, now I’ve focused their attention and got them thinking.”

Thisexampleisindicativenotonlyofthedeepunderstandingofthebusinessneedsbutalsooftheabilitytotakethecomplexityoutofthetechnologydiscussionsandturntheoften-fearedsubjectintosomethingeveryonecouldrelateto.


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BuildingrelationshipsareimportanttotheparticipantsbecausetheyallowedCIOstostrengthentheirroleinternallyandproducedcareerprogressionopportunities.Formanyrespondents,havinggoodrelationshipswascrucialintheprocessofbuildingthepreviouslydescribedbusinessfocusandunderstandingthebusiness.Asmentionedearlier,ITtouchesallpartsofthebusinessandtherelationshipswith thebusinesscan influence theCIOsability todeliver results.Onerespondentpointedoutthat“oftentheCIO’sjobisaboutmanagingbyinfluence;yourpeersdon’thaveadottedlinetoyouandtheymayhavethemoneyyouneedtodoyourinitiative”.

Secondly,relationshipsandprofessionalnetworkswereimportantintheinterviewees’careerprogression asmanyof theopportunities that allowed them to advance in their careerwerenotplannedbutsuggestedorenabledbypeopleintheirnetwork.Asdescribedbyoneoftheexecutives:“Businesspeopledon’tnecessarilyconsidertechnologistsforbusinessrolesandvice-versawithoutsomeoneadvocatingforyouinternally”.

Some of the respondents made a clear distinction between good working relationships andpersonalones,stressingthatbuildingrelationshipsdoesnotmeancreatingclosepersonalties.Rather,itimpliesbuildingworkingrelationshipswheretheCIOisacceptedasoneofthebusinessC-levelexecutivesandwheretheyarebeingtrustedasbothatechnologyexpertandabusinesspartner.Assummarizedbyoneoftheinterviewees,“youhavetorespectandprofessionallyworktogether;youdon’thavetoloveeachother”.

Beinggoodatpeopleandorganizationaldevelopmentaswellastheabilitytomotivatepeoplewere important factors, which allowed interviewed executives to build successful teams andorganizations.Manyintervieweestalkedaboutcreatinganenvironmentinwhichtheirteamscouldbesuccessful,motivated,engagedandabletohaveastrongpositiveimpactontheorganization.Oneoftherespondentsdescribedtheirroleasbeingafacilitatorwhomakesiteasierfortheteamtodotheirjobandtoreachtheirobjectives.

Having an engaged, knowledgeable staff allowed participants to create high performingorganizationswherestrategicplanswereexecutedeffectivelyandimportanttransformationalprojectswereintroducedsuccessfully.Oneexecutivepointedoutthat“…asyoumoveupinmanagementitbecomesmuchlessrelevantwhatyouasanindividualcandeliverandmuchmorerelevantwhatyouasaleadercan…haveyourteamscreate…”

Business KnowledgeTheintervieweesagreedthattheabilitytoexhibittheincreasedbusinessfocusislargelydependentonunderstandingandknowledgeofthebusinessanditsindustry.

UnderstandinghowthebusinessworksprovidesaCIOwithacontextinwhichtechnology-relatedinitiativescanbeevaluatedandanalyzed;aprojectwithoutthatcontext“…canbesuccessfulfromatechnologyperspectivebutunsuccessfulforthebusiness…”Someexecutivesalsotalkedabouttheimportanceofencouragingtheirteamstogainbusinessknowledge.OneintervieweeencouragedtheirITteammemberstofindapartneronthebusinesssideandworkcloselywiththem.AstheITteamlearnedmoreaboutthebusiness,“theywereabletocomeupwithsomeverycreativesolutionstoeverydayproblemsoftheirbusinesspartnersandattheendofthedaywewerehighlyimpactful”.

Manyrespondentstalkedabouttheimportanceofunderstandingthecustomerandbeingcustomer-centric.Asdescribedbyoneinterviewee,“youdon’twinclientsandyoudon’tkeepclients”ifyouarenotclosetothemandengaged.Beingabletounderstandcustomerneedsmakesitpossibletoadequatelyaddressthemandcreatevalueforthebusiness.Simplyput,“…youcan’tunderstandhowtohelpsomeoneunlessyouunderstandtheshoesthattheyarein…”

Understandingof thebusinessandof thecustomerscannotbesuperficial.Asstatedbyoneexecutive,“…youhavetoreallyunderstandtheintricaciesofthebusinessnotjustthebuzzwords…”Inthecaseofourrespondents,thiswasenabledbyworkexperienceandhavingfirm-wideresponsibilities.Hands-onexperiencewasoftenquotedasthebestwaytogainatrueunderstandingofvariouspartsof the business. Some executives gained the experience by taking different positions in various


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industries,whileothersdiversifiedtheirresponsibilitiesinternallybyengaginginM&Aactivities,takingresponsibilityfordifferentgeographicalareas,orparticipatinginlargetransformationalprojectswithintheirorganizations.

Respondentsgenerallyagreedthatsuccessfulleadershavetobeabletodemonstratearangeofdifferentskillsandanabilitytodeliverresultsinvariousenvironments,suchascustomermanagement,sales management, product management, marketing, financial management, risk management,governance,communications,PRor revenuegrowth.One intervieweecompared this to fillingatoolboxwithasetofdifferenttoolsthatwillcomehandyinthefuture.

IT Governance and IT MaturityWhiletheintervieweesworkedincompanieswithhighlyvaryingITmaturityandformalITgovernancestructures,theygenerallyrecognizedtheimportanceofthesefactorsintheirprofessionalsuccess.Bothofthesefactorsarestronglyinterconnected,asgoodITgovernancestructuresareasignandaproductofhighmaturityinhowanorganizationviewstheirITcapabilities.

Wherenecessary, the respondentsbuiltor improvedgovernancestructuresand increased ITmaturitytolevelsadequatetothecontextoftheirorganizations.Thiswasimportant“…becauseifyouhavegovernancethatgivesyouexposuretoyourpeers,givesyouexposuretotheboard,youknowyou’rewellpositioned.IfITisintegratedinwiththebusinessyou’regoingtolearnandunderstandthebusinessmoreandreallybeabletoperformbetter…”

Oneoftheexecutivespointedoutthat“…theviewofITtendstofluctuatefromstrategic…tonecessaryevil…”WheretheleadershipteamunderstoodtheimportanceofIT,therespondentswereabletoconsiderablyincreasetheITmaturitylevelsandgovernancestructures5.

Change LeadershipTherespondentsoftentalkedaboutbeingchangeagentsintheirorganizations,leadinginitiativesfrommajortechnologytransformationstoredefiningbusinessprocesses, introducingefficienciesandchangingthecultureofITorganizations.Ineachcase,theexecutivewasabletobetteraligntechnologywiththebusinessneedsandcreateaneffectiveorganizationsupportingstrategicbusinessgoals,reducingcostsandincreasingbusinessvalue.

Acommonskillthatthechangeagentshadwastheabilitytoquicklyidentifyproblemareas,suggestwaysof improvement,createanactionplan,andeffectivelycarry itout. Inmanycases,theorganizationswerefacingconsiderableproblemsthatoften-requiredradicalsolutions(suchascuttingtheITbudgetby$500million).Inothers,therespondentswereabletoidentifyopportunitiesforimprovementandproactivelyproposewaysinwhichtheITorganizationcouldstepup(suchasrationalizingtechnologyorintroducingemployeeengagementprograms).Notallofthechangeeffortswererevolutionary.Onerespondentpointedout:“…ifwestandstillasanorganization,oneofourcompetitorswillcatchuptousandsurpassus…thepaceofchangecontinuestoaccelerate…that’swhyIhappentobeafanofcontinuousimprovement…”

Role of a MentorWhilenotallintervieweeshadofficialmentors,allbuttwotalkedaboutsomeonewhoplayedthatroleintheircareer.Somerespondentshadseveralmentorsovertheyearswhileothershadoneortwo people whose advice they sought out repeatedly throughout their careers. The intervieweesrecognizedtheimportanceoftheadvicetheyreceivedfromtheirmentorsonbusinessissues,personaldevelopmentandcareerprogression.Thisisanimportantfinding.AsRosser(2005)haspointedout,whilementoringisalongestablishedhumanresourcesdevelopmenttool,“…fewstudieshaveexploredmentoringasaneducationaltoolfordevelopingleaders/CEOs…”

Therespondentswhoworkedwiththeirmentors(andwhosementorswereonorganizationalleadershipteams)oftentalkedaboutbeingengagedinvariousdiscussionsorbroughtintomeetingswhichtheywouldnothaveparticipatedinotherwise.Thisallowedthemtowatchtheirmentors“in


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action”andtoseehowthey“approachedproblems…andissues”.Formanyexecutives,theirmentorshadastrongimpactontheircareerpath,pushingthemoutsidetheircomfortzone,encouragingthemtomovetootherpositionsandgivingthemconfidencethattheyhavethenecessaryskillstosucceed.

OTHER IMPORTANT FINDINGS

Throughouttheinterviewsweidentifiedadditionalimportantfactorsthatemergedasrecurringthemes.

The Changing Role of ITManyintervieweesbelieved that theroleofIThaschangedandwillcontinue tochange. IT isarelativelynewfieldandoneoftheexecutivesdescribedtheirearlyroleas“firstgenerationIT”,whileanothersaid:“whenIgotintothefield,therewasnofield”.IntheearlydaysallITprofessionals“camefromsomewhereelse”whereastodaytheITcareerpathsaremorespecialized,oftenstartingwithIT-focuseddegreesandcertificates.

Somerespondentsfeltthatbecausethefieldwasnew,peoplehadachancetoprogressthroughtheircareersmorequicklythanwouldbepossibleinotherareas.AsITgrew,amorestructuredtechnologycareerpathemerged.Today,thepathischangingagain,evolvingintowhatonerespondentcalleda“dualstreamwithinIT”.Thetraditionalrolesfocusedheavilyontechnologyarecomplimentedbymorebusiness-focusedroles,suchasbusinessanalysts6.Fromtheleadershipstandpoint,ITexecutives“…evolvedsignificantlyfromjustbeing the…ITguyor theIT leader tohavingresponsibilitiesaroundinnovation,creation,productivity,operationalefficiency…”and“enablingtheorganizationwithtechnology.”

AstheITfieldgrows,itcontinuestochange.Fromthetechnologystandpoint,ITdepartmentshavebecomeanessentialpartofvirtuallyallorganizations.WhilesomecompaniesstillviewITasautility,itisincreasinglybecominganintegralpartofthebusiness.Fromanorganizationalperspective,anotherchangehasbeentakingplace–“…ITwasasiloforaverylongtimeand…thoselineshaveblurredinthelast10years…”MoreandmoreorganizationsbreakthepreviouslypredominantstructurewhereITandthebusinesswereclearlyseparated,bothorganizationallyandculturally.Today,withthegrowingamountofcustomer-facingtechnologies,ITisceasingtobejustasupportfunctionandisincreasinglybecominganintegralpartofthebusiness.

ThischangeintheITfieldisnotjustathingofthepast;itcontinuesandshouldberecognizedbytoday’sCIOs.Newtechnologyandnewdeliverychannelscontinuetobringmorechange.Oneoftheintervieweesexplainedtheimpactthatthenewtechnologies,suchascloudcomputing,havehadontheirorganizationandtheirrole:“…ifyouweretolookatmycompanyIhavenoservers,Ihavenodatacenter,Ihavenoemailsystems,IhavenoERPsystems…SothetraditionalITCIOrolejustdoesn’texistandyetI’mdoingallofthethingsthatIdid…”withinthetraditionalITmodel.

Trust and CredibilityTheabilitytobuildtrustandcredibilitywasanotherfactorwhichintervieweesoftentalkedabout,stressingitsimportanceintheircareerprogressionandintheirrelationshipswithboththesubordinatesandthepeers.Itisimportanttokeepinmindthat“…you’renotgoingtopleaseeveryoneallthetime,butthereneedstobealeveloftrustthatyou’redoingtherightthingfromtheperspectiveoftheoverallcompany…”

Theabilitytobuildtrustisdependentonseveralofthepreviouslydescribedfactors.Firstly,aCIOhastobeabletodeliveronpromisesandprovideprovenresultsinordertogaintrustintheirabilitiestoexecute.Additionally,thisshouldbesupportedbygoodinterpersonalskillsandexecutivelevelcommunicationskills.Overall,theseelementswillbuildaleveloftrustthatwillhelptheCIObefullyacceptedasoneoftheC-levelexecutivesandovercomethestereotypeoftechnology-focusedITspecialistwithlimitedunderstandingofbusiness.


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Lateral MovesTheintervieweesidentifiedlateralmovementsasawaytogainvaluablebusinessexperience.WhensearchingfordevelopmentandcareeropportunitiesmanyITprofessionalslookforpositionshigheruponthefunctionaldiagrambutinordertogoupitisoftenbettertofirststepsideways.While“thereisnostandardplaybook”thatdescribesthebestcareerpathforITleadersandCIOs,therespondentsgenerallyagreedthatexperienceinvariousrolesoutsideofITbringsaninvaluableadditiontothetechnicalskills.Inthewordsofoneinterviewee,“…youhavetobewillingtostepbackwardtomoveforward…”ManyparticipantsurgedCIOstogetoutoftheITfieldandtakeadvantageofopportunitiesoutsidetheirarea,beforeconsideringamovetoahigherrole.

Emotional IntelligenceEmotionalintelligencecombinesanumberofsoftskillsthatcomplementtheCIOstechnicalknowledgetomakethemgreatleaders.Itisfocusedbothinternally(ontheCIOsabilitytomanagetheiremotionsandbeself-motivated)andexternally(ontheirabilitytobeempathetictootherpeople’sneeds,beabletobuildinterpersonalrelations,andcommunicateeffectively).SeveralparticipantspointedoutthatITprofessionalsaremorelikelytolackskillsinthisarea.Oneexplainedthat“…it’seasiertodealwithcomputersthanpeople.Becausecomputersdon’tgetmadatyouandtheydon’thaveemotionsthatyouwouldhavetodealwithandallthesecomplexitiesthathumanshave.Theyareverylogicalandaprogrameithercompliesoritdoesn’t.There’sreasonswhyitdoesn’tcomplyandit’salwaysconsistent…”

Thesearenotskillsthatpeoplehavetobebornwith.Severalintervieweesadmittedthatthisdidnotcomenaturallytothem;oneparticipanttalkedspecificallyaboutbeingintrovertedandhavingtoworkharderontheseskills.WhatemergedthroughoutourconversationswithsuccessfulCIOswasnottheirnaturalinclinationtowardscertainbehavior(suchasbeingmoreextroverted)buttheawarenessandwillingnesstodevelopthoseskillsasnecessary.

TheCanadianCEOswhotookpartinthefirstphaseofthestudyalsopermittedustoassesstheiremotionalintelligence(EQ)bycompletingtheLeadershipDimensionsQuestionnaire(LDQ)–awell-establishedpsychometrictool.Allparticipantsexhibitedemotionalintelligenceatalevelconsiderablehigherthanthatofthewiderpopulationofmanagers.ThisdemonstratesthathighlevelsofleadershipcompetencearerequiredtoadvancetotheCEOpositionandtobesuccessfulinthatrole.

AsKorn/FerryInternationalhasfoundinexaminingthecareerprogressionofseveralthousandsuccessfulexecutives,ajourneyupthecorporateranksrequiresachangeinleadershipstyle.Successfulexecutiveswereable to transition froma task-focusedapproach toamore flexible,participativeleadershipstyle(muchmoresothanthosewhohavenotbeenassuccessful).Inotherwords,seniorexecutivesmusttakestepstoprepareforandapproachthechangesthatarerequiredastheyexpandtheirresponsibilitiesandprogressintheircareers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAy’S IT LEADERS

TheresultsofouranalysisshowthattheCEOofficedoorisopentoCIOs,butthatCIOshavetogaintherighttoenterthatdoor.Althoughindividualscanplantheircareerstothetop,itiswhattheydoalongthewaythatreallymatters.BeforereachingoutfortheCEOposition,theyhavetoprovethattheyhavetheexperienceandtheskillsthatmakethemtherightcandidate.

ThegoalofthisresearchisnottodescribehowtobeagoodCEO,butrathertoprovidehelpongettingthere.ThejourneytothetopstartswithbeinganoutstandingCIOandgainingthecredibility,experienceandskillsthatarenecessarytomakeittotheCEOlevel.InthenextsectionwelistthekeyareasandspecificactionitemsthatCIOsshouldconsiderinthecontextoftheircareerplanningand,mostimportantly,inthecontextofdeliveringexcellentresultsasCIOs.Indeed,evenifanindividualhasnointentionstobecomeaCEO,thefollowingstepsstillapplyandwillhelpthembecomeanexceptionalCIO.ThekeyelementsthatinfluencecareerprogressionofCIOsareshowninFigure3.


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Basedontheresearchfindings,thefirststepinsuccessfulCIOcareerprogressionistobuildcredibilitythroughperformancebyprovidingresults,demonstratingabusinessfocus(supportedbybusinessknowledge),andshowcasingtheabilitytobeabusinessleader.ThisapproachallowedtheintervieweestoovercomethenegativeITstereotypeandgainaseatattheexecutivetable.BeingacceptedasoneoftheC-levelexecutivesledtomoreopportunities,astheCIOrolewasmorelikelytoreportdirectlytotheCEOandastheCIObecamemorevisibletotheboard.Asshownbytheinterviewees’careerpaths,thisincreasedvisibility,combinedwithcredibility,tendstoopenmanynewdoorsforCIOs

Secondly, it is important thatCIOsorchestrate theircareermovesand takeactions thatwillpreparethemforthetopexecutiverole.Theseactionshavetoaimatdevelopingthenecessaryskills,gainingrelevantexperienceandbeingabletoshowcasereadinessforthetoprole.Atthesametime,successfulCIOsareabletotakeadvantageofopportunitiesthatpresentthemselvesalongthewayandwhichsupportcareerprogression.Theseelementsaredescribedinfurtherdetailbelow.

Build CredibilityAspreviouslymentioned,buildingcredibilityisbasedoncombiningbusinessknowledgewithrelevantskillsandleadershiptraits.

Build Credibility Through KnowledgeInordertogaincredibilitythroughknowledgeCIOsneedtoprovethattheyarenotonlygoodatCIObasics,butalsothattheydelivertechnologywiththefullunderstandingofitsbusinesscontext.Inordertoacquiretheincreasedbusinessfocus,CIOsmustgainrelevantworkexperienceoutsideofITandtakeonfirm-wideresponsibilities.Whenitcomestounderstandingandknowingthebusiness(anditscustomers),onlyfirst-handexperiencecantrulyprepareCIOsfortherequirementsonhigherexecutivepositions.Atthesametime,itservesbothasawaytodemonstrateaninterestinprofessionalself-developmentaswellasameanstovalidatebusinessskills.

Build Credibility Through Skills DevelopmentBeingabletodeliverresultsinonlyonepartoftheequation.Tobetrulysuccessful,CIOsmustalsodevelopasetofinterpersonalskillsthatwillallowthemtobegreatcommunicators,buildstrongrelationshipsandmotivatetheirteam.ThesetraitsbecomemoreimportantwitheachstepupthecorporateladderandareakeyrequirementfortheCEOposition.

Figure 3. Elements influencing CIO career progression


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Build Credibility Through LeadershipFinally,successfulCIOshavetoexhibittheabilitytointroducechangeintheirorganizationsandbeabletomotivateanddeveloptheirteams.Notonlycantheyidentifyimprovementopportunitiesandactonthem,buttheyalsoknowhowtoeffectivelycommunicatethevaluethattheybringtothebusinessandtheITorganization.Atthesametime,theyrecognizetheimportanceofmotivatingtheirteamsandaligningtheirorganizationstocommongoals.Eventhebest-designedplanscannotbeexecutedsuccessfullywithoutateambuy-inorattheveryleastunderstandingastothegoalsandrationale.SuccessfulCIOsareopenabouttheirstrategiesandknowhowtoaddressimportantissueswithvariousaffectedstakeholders.

Orchestrate your CareerInorder toadvancebeyond theircurrent role,CIOshave toactively takecontrolof their careerprogression.SuccessfulCIOsarenotafraidof takingupchallenginghigh-visibilityprojectsandreachingoutbeyondtheircomfortzone.FormanyCIOs,theimportanceofbuildingprofessionalnetworksisinvaluableintheirabilitytomakeittothetop.WhileopportunitiesforCIOsexist,theytypicallypresentthemselvesasaresultoftheCIO’s“brand”recognitionamongtheexecutiveandamongtheirpeers.WhilenotallCIOswhoprogressedintheircareeractivelysearchedforadvancementopportunities,allwereabletodemonstratethattheywerereadytostepuptoahigherrole.

AN ACTION PLAN FOR CIO CAREER PROGRESSION

BasedontheidentifiedresearchimplicationsforCIOcareerprogression,thissectionpresentsconcretestepsthatCIOscantaketobuildcredibilitythroughknowledge,skillsandleadership,aswellastoorchestratetheircareeradvancement.

Althoughnotalloftherespondentsactivelyplannedtheircareerprogression,theyalltookactionstobecomeoutstandingCIOs(whichledtoadvancementopportunities).ThefollowingdiscussionwillbehelpfultoyouwhetheryouaspiretobecomeaCEOorsimplywanttoincreaseyourimpactinyourcurrentposition.Keytosuccessfuladvancementisbuildingcredibility.Figure4showshowthiscanbedone.

Alloftheintervieweestookactionsthathelpedthemshapetheircareers,eventhoughcareeradvancementwasn’tnecessarilytheirmainmotivator.Specifically,theyactivelysoughtwaystogain

Figure 4. Building credibility


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moreexperience,theybuiltrelationshipswithpeersandmentors,and(wheretheydidseektomoveintohirerpositions),andtheymadetheiraspirationsknownandapproachedthemstrategically.Figure5showshowthismightbedone.

CONCLUSION

ThisstudyhasdemonstratedconclusivelythatsuccessfulCIOsareabletomovebeyondtheirspecialistleadershiproletothetoppositionswithinorganizations.Therewasasurprisinglyhighdegreeofcommonalityinthecareerdevelopmentofalltheindividualsinterviewed.TheyweresuccessfulatITleadershipandtheydemonstratedincreasingunderstandingofthebusinessenvironmentaswellasanabilitytotakeonbroaderresponsibilitiesbeyondIT.

MostwererespectedITleaderswhodemonstratedcredibilitytotheirpeersandsuperiors.Theywerewillingtotakeonresponsibilitiesbeyondtheirownarea(sometimesthroughlateralmoves),theyhadexecutivelevelcommunicationskillsandwereabletobuildrelationshipsaswellasdevelopingandmotivatingtheirsubordinates.Ingainingwiderbusinessknowledgetheygottoknowtheirbusinessescustomersandneeds,andthenwereabletoassisttheirpeersinmeetingtheseneeds.

Theirsuccesscanbereplicatedbyothersaspiringtoadvancetheircareer,throughacombinationoflearningactivitiesandactualbehavior.

Figure 5. Orchestrate your career


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ENDNOTES

1 BillSynnottiswidelycreditedforthecreationoftheterm(Synnott&Gruber,1981;Synnott,1987)2 Thedevelopmentofthismodelisreportedin(Grant&Hutson,2009)3 SeeIDCWorldwideDigitalTransformation2017Predictions,September2016,IDC#US40526216;and

IDCTheChangingRoleofITLeadership:CIOPerspectivesfor2016,December2015,IDC#US406629154 For an in-depthexampleof theCIO role inbusiness transformationusing technology, see (Kohli&

Johnson,2011)5 Furtherelaborationofthisconceptisprovidedby(Leidner&Chen,2008)6 Thisissometimesreferredtoas“two-speedIT”,asdescribedby(Bossert,Harrysson,&Roberts,2015)

Ron Babin is a Professor in the Ted Rogers School of IT Management at Ryerson University. Prior to joining Ryerson, he enjoyed over 25 years of professional IT experience, concluding as a strategy partner at Accenture.

Ken Grant is the Chair of the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2007.12.005

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2007.12.005

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