What separates good from great CIOs?

Some of the UK's top IT leaders give their views on what it takes to be a great CIO, with business focus and ability to lead change cited as key skills

Great CIOs need to understand the business and its needs, and be able to lead positive transformation in that business.

That's the opinion of a group of the UK's top IT leaders, when asked to define what separates a good from a great CIO.

Charles Ewen, CIO of the Met Office, explained that CIOs need to both instigate and execute change, whilst staying close to business goals.

"We used to say CIOs need to be in touch with the business, but that's changed," Ewen began. "We moved now to there being a greater emphasis on the CIO being the instigator of change. The good ones do technology and are well engaged with the business, whilst the great ones deliver change, demonstrate the need for change, and deliver it."

Nick Folkes, CIO at G4S sounded also emphasised change.

"The CIO role has always been about transformation. There have been times when that's been internally focused within IT itself, which could be about cost containment for example, but it's now about helping the business transform.

"That can be through digital, and some sectors are embracing digital at a great pace often through consumer focus and demand, or it can be the sort of transformation we're going through here at G4S, transitioning from a local to a global business."

Duncan Stott, CIO at Kier, discussed transformation, but added that it must be driven at the right pace, and not managed too tentatively.

"We can't spend two years experimenting, we've got to make a call as to where it'll lead us and how that change will transform the business. It's not just implementing systems in the old traditional way, but looking across the whole business and seeing what will happen.

"We need to have a vision for how technology will change. The tendency is to sit on the fence and do some proofs of concept, but we need a vision as to what will happen. We don't have the luxury of going tentatively at these things."

Ian Penny, group CIO at Hiscox, added that commercial understanding is also essential.

"The opportunity to get involved with the business, speak its language, and bring your commerciality to the organisation separates the good from the great," said Penny.

"My budget conversation is a good example. I'm questioning not that I need more money, but whether we can derive real value from new investment. As a result I'm reducing the amount the business lines want to spend on technology. The danger is we'd spend another £5-10 million but get no value."

Jane Deal, IT director at the Law Society, added stakeholder management and horizon scanning as important facets of the great IT leader.

"A great CIO has got very strong business focus, good stakeholder management, very strong horizon scanning, and strategic thinking. It's also someone who is very influential with the board, bringing clarity around why IT or digital is relevant, and how data is crucial.

"IT is the enabler, it's all about the business understanding what it is and what it needs. Like cyber, it's about helping the business understand it's not an IT thing, but a business decision. What risk do you want to take, where are we on the spectrum, you need to get the board's buy-in on that level.

"A great CIO is seen as a partner by the board, and is part of their conversation."

What separates good from great CIOs?

Some of the UK's top IT leaders give their views on what it takes to be a great CIO, with business focus and ability to lead change cited as key skills

Richard Warner, CIO at LV= echoed Deal's view that great CIOs are able to influence the board.

"What separates good from great is that ability to hold conversations with the board and executive, and create a process and vision to align them. They then refine and iterate that vision of where the business needs to get to.

"A big chunk of the CIO job is leading change in the organisation. Most of us have come through technology, and so grown up doing technology-enabled change. So we do have the skills and experience to know what good change looks like

"But it's one thing to know what good change looks like, it's another thing to orchestrate a genuine transformation of the business, and get business leadership bought."

Mark Holt, CIO at the Trainline, said that great CIOs need to understand where the business is in its own journey, and that not every popular solution or trend will be right for every business.

"Context is king. Different organisations are at different points on their journey. The right CIO for one organisation is wrong for another. People have to be cognisant of realistically where they are in the journey and where they need to get to.

"Do they ensure high rates of change, with super levels of innovation and a lot of high quality developers? Or do their customers not want that level of change?

"Recognising that context is partly what separates good from great."

Laura Meyer, CIO at Harper Collins emphasised the necessary soft skills.

"Being a CIO isn't just about understanding technology and running the technology division, it's also about leadership and skills. It's about having integrity, living the organisation's values, communicating well and listening. It's important to invest in relationships, to understand company goals and empower people, and then provide feedback."

Tom Clark, CIO at Leeds Building Society summed up by saying that IT needs to be seen as an enabler.

"If IT is seen as an enabler, then that's a great CIO. It's also about aligning the team behind business priorities, whilst keeping the lights on without the business even noticing."

Computing's IT Leaders Summit will be held on the 16th October in Central London.