What is the most common misconception about CIOs?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “nothing is more dangerous for a new truth than an old misconception.”

Of course, Goethe was a writer in the late 1700s – pre-CIOs and, basically, everything else as we know it today. However, the sentiment remains. The scope of the CIO role is evolving daily, and what was true about the job description yesterday may no longer be applicable tomorrow.

Throughout our CIOs Unfiltered series, we’ve sat down with more than 20 technology thought leaders to talk about digital transformation, operating models, data, automation, and more. 

At the end of each conversation, we posed one simple question:

What is the most common misconception about CIOs?

Though these thought leaders span different industries, specialities, and backgrounds, there are three common themes that each manages to call on:

• There’s a misconception that CIOs don’t need to be strategic.
  • CIOs do more than just keep the lights on. In fact, it is important today, more so than ever, that IT leaders are aligning with their business counterparts to drive outcomes that matter most to the organization.
    
• There’s a misconception that CIOs let themselves be limited by short-term constraints.
  • It’s no secret that IT capacity is over subscribed. However, impactful CIOs need to know how to do more with less — they enable their organization to work smarter, not harder.
    
• There’s a misconception that CIOs only care about technology.
  • In reality, the most impactful CIOs are strategic about technology, but, even more-so, passionate about the people who will actually be using it. 

Want more insights like these from technology leaders who are navigating through change? Subscribe to our CIOs Unfiltered series.