The New CIO Leader: Setting the Agenda and Delivering Results

by Marianne Broadbent, Ellen Kitzis

Two converging factors--the ubiquitous presence of technology in organizations and the recent technology downturn--have brought chief information officers (CIOs) to a critical breaking point. They can seize the moment to leverage their expertise into a larger and more strategic role than ever before, or they can allow themselves to be relegated to the sideline function of "chief technology mechanic." Drawing from exclusive research conducted by Gartner, Inc., with thousands of companies and CIOs, Marianne Broadbent and Ellen Kitzis reveal exactly what CIOs must do now to solidify their credibility with the executive team and bridge the chasm that currently separates business and IT strategy.

The New CIO Leader outlines the agenda CIOs need to integrate business and IT assets in a way that moves corporate strategy forward--whether a firm is floundering, successfully competing, or leading its industry. Mandatory reading for CIOs in every firm, The New CIO Leader spells out how information systems can deliver results that matter--and how CIOs can become the enterprise leaders they should be.

Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Crossroads

1. Laying the foundation: Leadership

PART ONE: DEMAND SIDE LEADERSHIP
2. Understand the fundamentals of your environment
3. Create your vision
4. Shape and form expectations for an IT-enabled enterprise
5. Create clear and appropriate IT governance
6. Weave business and IT strategies together

PART TWO: SUPPLY-SIDE LEADERSHIP
7. Build a new IS organization
8. Develop a high performing IS team
9. Manage enterprise and IT risks
10. Communicate your performance

Conclusion: Bring it all together

Appendix A: A short assessment of personality type preferences
Appendix B: Identifying strategies and synergies to create maxims
Appendix C: IT services
Appendix D: The new CIO leader self-assessment
Notes
Index
About the authors

Genres: Business, Management, Leadership, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Martyn Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful overview of what it takes to have the right approach for a modern, executive Chief Information Officer.

As it’s written in 2004 there’s some areas that are slightly dated but the principles and approaches are 100% sound and very useful.

Recommended?: I’m reading this for a course on Certified Health CIO. This book could have had more examples and more nods to public sector CIOS. For example, a focus on Revenue growth isn’t exactly a public sector CIO’s top focus area.

[Нестор · Rating 3 out of 5]

Очень много повторов и повторов и одних и тех же советов и рекомендаций.

Впрочем, если вы делаете первые шаги в профессиональной карьере в направлении ИТ, то, пожалуй, прочитать можно.

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was torn between giving this book three or four stars. On the one hand, there are many valuable observations and recommendations in this book well worth meditating and acting on; on the other hand it would be a much better book if it were (a)less repetitive and thus shorter, and (b) if it did not leave many good ideas frustratingly up in the air.

The book focuses on the holy grail of business IT. Not surprisingly this means the CIO must exercise leadership by becoming a key player in aligning and/or integrating IT into the business.

The authors somewhat artificially divide the book into "demand-side" and "supply-side" leadership topics. The "demand-side" means directing IT from the perspective of how it helps add value to the business. This entails emphasizing developing IT strategies from an "IT-enabled" business strategy: the CIO has to understand and contribute to the business his enterprise is in, he/she must develop a vision for IT´s contribution to business, shape feasible, yet exciting, expectations about IT´s potential contribution, pay particular attention to IT governance and, in short Weave business and IT strategies together. The chapters on "supply side" leadership focus on reorienting organization, motivating a high-performing team, managing risks and communicating IT performance in an intelligible way to the business key stakeholders.

Broadbent and Kitzis focus on how to meet the challenge of building leaner and more effective IT departments in the light of key, strategic outsourcing both to external service providers as well as to IT functions embedded in business units. Some of the examples are truly helpful, whereas others may strike some readers as cursory.

The book can be infuriating at times, as you struggle with the day to day IT problems, that sometimes seem to be so blithely glossed over by the authors. However, I would highly recommend you come back and reread the book from time to time in order to keep your mind focused on the important long-term role IT needs to play in business.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best CIO role books I've read.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enlightening. It provides a good understanding of what is involved in managing an IT organization. It should be read by any C-level manager or those aspiring to be one.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for someone starting in CIO role

[Yudhi Christian]

ok