Why the top 10 skills required for a CIO won’t help you get there

You’ve decided that you want to climb the IT career ranks from a technical role to become a CIO, so you go off and research what it takes to be a CIO.  You learn about leadership, strategic thinking and outlining a compelling vision that aligns the IT goals with the goals of the business.  You take the time to practice and hone these abilities while you sit and wait for someone to recognize your skills and give you a tap on the shoulder.  Right?  Not exactly.  While the CIO is a leader that is responsible for defining the strategic direction and driving the alignment between IT and the business, the skills required are not the same as those at the lower levels of IT management.

Leadership versus management

One way to look at this is to compare the qualities of leadership against the management function.  Abraham Zaleznik first asked the question in 1977 Managers and leaders: Are they different?  Zaleznik believed that managers and leaders were different kinds of people, with managers having to cope with performing more mundane tasks such as administrative tasks and controlling resources to solve problems, whereas leaders were “great” people who were active rather than reactive and dealt more with visions and ideas. 

The views on leaders and managers have changed since 1973, with Henry Mintzberg using the terms leader and manager interchangeably because “managers have to lead, and leaders have to manage.”  What hasn’t changed though, is the view of the tasks and processes of management versus leadership.  Management involves allocating and making use of resources, planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling and problem solving, whereas leadership involves establishing a direction and vision, motivating, inspiring and aligning people in pursuit of the vision.  Organizations require both management and leadership because if everyone is focused on leading, then no one is managing the processes and doing the work.

Transactional leadership and transformational leadership

A transactional leadership style utilizes incentives and disciplinary actions as motivation for followers, i.e. there is an exchange (or transaction if you will) of reward for performance.  Transactional leadership is reactive, allowing managers to adapt to change to ensure operations continue to run smoothly.  Transactional leaders will often be hands-on and will often be looked upon to lead by example.

Transformational leadership on the other hand appeals more to a follower’s higher calling by providing inspiration and intellectual stimulation.  Transformational leaders are often labelled charismatic with their ability to firstly articulate a vision and secondly to inspire followers to strive to reach beyond their potential to realize that vision.  Transformational leaders may be regarded as innovators and risk takers.

Junior management and senior management

At the lower levels of management, a manager’s tasks are more focused on the management processes of organizing, supervising and controlling, rather than developing vision and strategy.  In order to move into these lower levels of management, you will be required to display resourcing and problem solving skills.  A senior level manager on the other hand will be more concerned with the development of strategy and building a management team capable of realizing their vision.

Although the traditional view of leadership leans more towards the transformational style, the type of leadership employed should be determined by the situation.  A transactional leadership style may well be more effective at the junior level to ensure that operations run smoothly, whereas senior managers are more likely to exhibit transformational leadership traits.

Why the top 10 skills required for a CIO won’t help you get there

As I’ve discussed in the previous sections, the management processes and leadership styles required in IT management are different depending on what level you are at.  The skills required to become a successful CIO, will not necessarily help you to make that first step into management.  While it is a good idea to research and keep abreast as to how the CIO role is changing and what the role may require of you, it is important that you not jump too far ahead of yourself and lose sight of what you need to be doing to excel in your current position in order to make that next step up the management ladder.

So what required skills are common between the CIO and the most junior IT manager?  If a technical IT staff member wishes to move into management, should they be exhibiting the same skills that are require to become a successful CIO?  Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.