One of the biggest
challenges future chief information officers will face is juggling the need for
innovation while remaining efficient.
With the growing challenges in today’s environment, from
regulation and economic volatility to globalization and changing consumer
behaviors, IT leaders must learn to balance these forces on a regular basis.
CIOs are driving both innovation and efficiency that can lead to huge amounts
of energy spent and little motion forward. Although CIOs have always faced
these competing imperatives, current market trends have increased the tension
between the two.
To help navigate through this new market environment, it’s
important to generate high levels of engagement among those you work with and connecting
with peers beyond the project and interact at a strategic level.
Bottom line, leadership is not a title, or a job, or being a
witness. It’s about going beyond the typical leadership characteristics that are
essential to helping modern IT leaders succeed.
For example, it is important to be relevant in your industry
by building and maintaining one’s credibility and thought leadership. Read what
your business counterparts are reading in the today’s business and technology
publications, blogs, and websites. They want to know that you are ‘in the know’
and can talk intelligently about technology trends that impact their business.
You have to have a point of view.
Guest Blog by Rick Roy, CUNA Mutual Group's SVP, Chief Information Officer
