7 Truths CIOs Must Accept to Succeed

The evolution of the CIO role from order taker to strategic partner has been well-established. Yet many IT leaders are still operating from a support position. Veteran CIO and executive coach Joe Topinka shares seven tips for shifting into a higher gear.

Over 25 years as an IT leader and executive coach, I’ve witnessed firsthand the evolution of the CIO role. Once primarily focused on maintaining IT infrastructure, CIOs today are expected to drive transformation, shape digital strategy, and build trusted partnerships across the enterprise.

Yet, despite these elevated expectations, many talented IT leaders find themselves stuck operating in a support posture. They deliver, but they don’t transform. They execute, but they don’t shape. They check in, but they don’t partner.

This is where working with a leadership coach can make a significant difference. This may seem like a less-than-subtle marketing pitch since I’ve transitioned to coaching full-time. But whether or not you work with a coach, there are some insights I feel compelled to share below that I’ve found can help CIOs aiming to elevate their leadership and deepen their impact.

1.   If You Want to Be Seen Differently, You Have to Behave Differently

Executives will never perceive you as a business leader unless you consistently act like one. Your approach, communication efforts, and involvement in business decisions all contribute to how other leaders in the business view you.

For the modern CIO, this requires more than just delivering projects on time. It demands  engaging in or, better yet, initiating strategic discussions. It means not only understanding business goals but also driving the digital customer journey and ensuring that IT initiatives drive business value. 

2.   Relationships are the Strategy

Once IT leaders reach the pinnacle of their careers, they’re doing far less executing than delegating. But there’s one thing that cannot be delegated: trust.

Building one-on-one relationships with executive peers and board members is crucial. While attending executive team and board meetings is essential, true influence is cultivated outside those rooms through informal conversations, shared experiences, and consistent engagement. These relationships form the foundation for the collaboration and strategic partnerships required to deliver technology-enabled transformation.

I once coached a CIO who — despite being well-liked — struggled to gain traction on strategic initiatives. His interactions with the executive team were primarily in group settings, limiting deeper connections. We implemented regular one-on-one meetings with each executive team members. These sessions fostered mutual understanding and trust, allowing him to discuss ideas informally and receive candid feedback.

As a result, he secured support for investments that enhanced customer engagement and retention. By investing time in building individual relationships, he transitioned from a service provider to a strategic partner. He later shared that this coaching not only strengthened his influence, it also reignited his passion for leadership.

Unfortunately, interpersonal skills are often overlooked in formal education and on-the-job training. Engaging with a coach or mentor can help leaders develop these competencies, enhancing their ability to lead diverse teams, former deeper relationships with internal and external partners, and drive organizational success. Coaches help uncover blind spots and anticipate potential challenges that harm a CIO’s overall effectiveness as a leader. In the example above, we focused on sharpening the IT leader’s strategic communication skills.  To prepare him for effective one-on-one engagements, we conducted role-playing sessions where I assumed the roles of various executive team members.

3.   You're Not Just Delivering Technology; You're Shaping Demand

High-performing CIOs proactively manage how their businesses request and invest in technology. This involves educating stakeholders about IT capabilities, setting clear expectations about what IT can and cannot (will or won’t) do, and guiding the organization toward solutions that align technology investments with strategic goals. Demand shaping is a leadership skill that ensures IT resources are utilized effectively and contribute to business success by driving top-line revenue, increasing bottom-line savings, or mitigating business risk.

4.   Your Portfolio Defines Your Credibility

Many CIOs I work with are surprised by how many active projects lack a clear connection to business outcomes. In coaching sessions, we conduct a deep dive into their project portfolios, identifying initiatives that don't directly support top-line revenue growth, bottom-line savings, or meaningful risk reduction. I encourage them to consider pausing or canceling such projects and redirecting resources toward investments that deliver clear value.

We also collaborate on designing streamlined methods for vetting future investments. By establishing business-driven guardrails, we ensure consistency and clarity in evaluating whether proposed initiatives align with strategy and have defined, measurable outcomes.

This disciplined approach not only enhances the credibility of the CIO but also reinforces their role as a strategic partner in driving business success.

Every project on the IT agenda should have a clear and measurable link to a business outcome whether it’s revenue growth, cost savings, or risk mitigation. When such value isn’t evident, it’s not just a project risk — it’s a credibility risk. Consistently reviewing the portfolio through this lens not only strengthens IT’s integration with the business but also positions the CIO as a disciplined, value-driven leader.

5.   AI Is a Board-Level Conversation — And You Need a Point of View

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it's a present-day reality impacting all facets of business. CIOs don’t need to be AI experts, but they must be able to distinguish between hype and practical application. Their organizations are looking to them for leadership, particularly in this quickly evolving space. Developing a clear perspective on how AI can specifically benefit the organization will position the CIO as a forward-thinking leader and can inform and guide strategic AI decision-making throughout the enterprise.

To do this effectively, a coach can help CIOs apply a demand-shaping framework that vets AI initiatives with the same rigor as any other investment. This structured approach ensures that AI proposals are scored based upon business outcomes, not buzzwords, thus helping organizations prioritize what’s real and ready over what’s just shiny and new.

6.   The Best CIOs Never Go It Alone

Leadership can be isolating, but it doesn't have to be lonely. Engaging with trusted advisors, mentors, peers, or executive coaches will give you a sounding board for ideas and valuable perspectives to challenge your thinking. External input and structured reflection and are invaluable for personal growth and effective leadership.

One CIO I coached had struggled to see their performance through the eyes of colleagues and teammates. Despite strong technical results, negative perceptions of the CIO’s leadership style were growing among peers and direct reports. Through guided reflection and feedback sessions, the executive came to understand how his communication and engagement patterns were being received. Once this awareness clicked, the CIO made meaningful adjustments that transformed his relationships and were also noticed and acknowledged by colleagues.

7.   Every Quarter Is a New Audition for the Role

No IT leader can afford to rest on their laurels. In this dynamic business and technology environment, past successes don't guarantee future relevance.

But there’s a positive way to look at this: each quarter presents an opportunity for the top IT leader to demonstrate value, adapt to new challenges, and reinforce their strategic importance. Consistent performance and the ability to deliver measurable results are key to maintaining influence, driving ongoing success, and — frankly — keeping the job.

Failing to evolve as a digitally fluent, business-aligned leader comes with real consequences. At a personal level, CIOs risk stagnation, diminished credibility, and missed opportunities to lead at the highest levels. The costs to their organizations can be even greater, including unrealized business outcomes, increased cyber vulnerabilities, and misalignment between technology and strategy. But for those who do the work to develop digital fluency, build trust-based relationships, and lead with clarity, the rewards are immense. They drive greater business impact, shape enterprise strategy, and become the kind of leaders that others seek out for guidance and partnership.