Transitional Cio Leadership: The Role Of The Cio

TRANSITIONAL CIO LEADERSHIP Name: Instructor: Course: Date: TRANSITIONAL CIO LEADERSHIP The Role of the CIO According to Kern, Willcocks, & Van Heck, (2002), in the past the role of Chief Information Officer, that is CIO, began as controlling the Information Systems (IS) as well as the data processing. However, currently, the role of the position is quite different. Similarly, the skills set as well as the responsibilities for the position are also quite different from what they were in the past ten or so years. Besides, the scope of the role does not end in the present. It continues to advance in the dynamic face of the competitive contemporary business enterprise (Peppard, 2010). The million dollar question is, therefore, what is the contribution of the CIOs in the competitive contemporary business environment? Broadbent, & Kitzis (2005) says that the simple answer to this question is that there is no specific description of the position. Consequently, Broadbent, & Kitzis (2005) notes that from the position title, it can be defined as it is a managerial position which is responsible for the IT needs of an organization. However, that does not mean that they are the IT director. As matter of fact, several CIOs are beginning to disassociate themselves from operational duties. Kern, Willcocks, & Van Heck, (2002) notes that CIO is sometimes referred to as Chief Technology Officer, that is CTO. However, on paper, there is a slight variation between the two jobs. Broadbent, & Kitzis (2005) do not mention the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). They neither mention if there is similarity nor differences between CIOs and CTOs. One thing that comes out straight is that both Broadbent, & Kitzis (2005) and Willcocks, & Van Heck, (2002) agree on some the responsibilities of CIOs as follows. First, CIOs develop business value using technology. Secondly, they are engaged in the strategic planning of the business progress objectives. And lastly, they ascertain that tech systems, as well as procedures, are in aligned to achieve outcomes which match the business goals. Considering the above qualities, there are a set of skills and behaviors which CIOs must have. Before we consider anything we must first agree that IT involves almost everything in all the business enterprises. As a result, CIOs must have a set of interpersonal skill. According to Kern, Willcocks, & Van Heck, (2002), one of the most important interpersonal skills that CIOs must possess is communication. As noted above, IT plays at least a role in every part of the organization. Meaning, the CIOs will have to not only interact with several departments of the organization but also a huge number of persons within the said organization. They must, therefore, learn how to communicate effectively – as this will be helpful when passing instructions as well as when guiding the teams or different departments of...