Our research on CIO Success Factors produced a model of IT Career Advancement. This model suggests three domains in which CIO aspirants need to acquire proficiency: personal, social, and organizational. It further suggests that one’s developmental focus at any point in time is a function of where one is on his or her path.


For example, the foundation of one’s personal development is self awareness. Accordingly, young IT professionals need to develop a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, domain proficiency in the personal realm includes the practice of positive thinking and positive attitude.

Mid-career professionals who assume leadership roles need to focus on developing high-level people skills: listening, discerning motivation, developing consensus, and maintaining esprit de corps. Ideally, performance is judged on team productivity and the team’s ability to meet goals vs. the personal accomplishments that dominate the evaluations of individual contributors.

Senior IT executives live and operate in a world of greater abstraction. Rather than focusing on the team leaders’ objectives of hitting deadlines and staying within budgets, CIOs and their C-suite colleagues are ideally judged on organizational measures such as growth rates, profitability, brand strength, competitive advantage and market share.

As we continue to talk with CIOs and other senior IT executives, CIO Peer Research will build upon these initial findings to offer an even more robust view of how to succeed in IT. In the meantime, pick up a copy of CIO Success Factors for the full take on our current knowledge and understanding.