In the Deloitte Global CIO Legacy Report (November 2015), the most important capability for successful CIOs is influencing internal stakeholders. It is also the skill least cited as a strength by the 1200 CIOs who took part in the survey.
- 79% of CIOs said that it was the most important characteristic of a successful CIO.
- Only 55% recognised this as a strength they possessed.
Influencing internal stakeholders out-ranked other capabilities such as:
- Communication and interpersonal skills (70%).
- Understanding the organisation’s strategic priorities (62%).
- Attracting, retaining and motivating talent (52%).
- Technology vision and leadership (51%).
Furthermore, influencing internal stakeholders beat all of these in terms of the size of the gap between its contribution to success and their current strength – by a big margin.
The percentage point differences for the top five capabilities were:
- Influencing internal stakeholders: 24% points.
- Communication and interpersonal skills: 2%
- Understanding the organisation’s strategic priorities: 4%
- Attracting, retaining and motivating talent: 10%
- Technology vision and leadership: 7%
So, if you want to leave a legacy, a top priority must be to make sure that you have the necessary influencing skills.
However, important as that may be, the report also piled on more cause for significant action in developing this critical capability.
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In the survey, they asked CIOs to identify their current role, and the role that their organisation ideally needed. The roles were:
- Trusted Operator: Delivering operational discipline.
- Change Instigator: Leading technology enabled business transformation.
- Business Co-creator: Driving business strategy and enabling change.
At present, 42% of CIOs identified themselves as being Trusted Operators and 36% as Business Co-creators. In the latter role, the influencing skills performance gap was reported to be very small compared to the Trusted Operators. Therefore, successful Business Co-creators have mastered the skills of influence, or at least, view it as a significant strength.
And the future?
CIOs reported that the ideal role for their organisation is Business Co-Creator, a massive 66% (up from 36% currently performing that role). And Trusted Operators? Seemingly, only 12% of CIOs think this is what their current organisation needs.
This means that 30% of CIOs believe they are performing the wrong role for their organisation.
Which means that if you want to leave a legacy, be a successful CIO, and resolve many of the frustrations you face today, it is vital that you dramatically improve your ability to influence internal stakeholders.
And the need exists today, not tomorrow.
The Gautrey Influence Blog
Ever felt overlooked, unheard, or stuck in office politics? You’re not alone. The Gautrey Influence Blog breaks down the real-world strategies behind leadership, influence, and power—giving you the tools to be heard, respected, and successful. Join 35,000+ professionals getting ahead the smart way—subscribe now..
💡 Benchmark your Influence: Take the Master of Influence Assessment (Free for Subscribers!)
👉 [Subscribe & Take the Assessment]