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This article was originally published in the Opinions section of ITforBusiness magazine (October 2023).
CIOs, Let’s All Be Entrepreneurs!
What if we broke the chains that hold back CIOs’ potential? A recent article highlighted the underrepresentation of CIOs in senior executive positions… This is indeed surprising, given that, within their own departments, they naturally assume the responsibilities and role of a true leader. I’m not just talking about those of us whose departments are structurally organized as autonomous mini-companies within the organization—whether they’re business units, digital services firms, or economic interest groups. Even if we’re at the head of “ordinary departments” among the rest, it’s time to position ourselves and act like true entrepreneurs. This will strengthen our leadership, and it’s all the more legitimate given that we have all the skills and what it takes to do so.
Yes, because like an entrepreneur, we naturally juggle a multitude of subjects: financial, legal and regulatory, HR… We steer at 360°, with the added bonus of real specificities linked to the IT business.
Like business leaders, we often manage large teams, sometimes structured like miniature companies, with cross-functional functions such as Human Resources, Marketing, Controlling, Risk Management and so on. It’s still up to us to manage and lead this talent, to know how to surround ourselves with the right people, and to recruit the expert profiles that traditional HR sometimes struggles to identify.
Like a “captain”, we set a course, draw up a strategy and map out our Roadmap – even if we call it a blueprint. We lead the Projects to realize it, find the Resources to finance and steer our “plan” (with a budget and a volume of suppliers that are generally substantial, by the way).
Like an entrepreneur, we have every interest in working on our positioning, refining and asserting our value proposition, and marketing our direction (without neglecting our own personal branding).
Yes, just as business leaders have customers, we have our own. They may be internal customers, but they demand as much, if not more, than external customers. They expect high-quality service. Naturally, they are fussy about deadlines and costs, and don’t hesitate to challenge our offer, or even take their business elsewhere if they don’t think we’re up to the job (the notorious shadow IT is proof of this). So it’s up to us to find the right positioning to win them over and win their loyalty, by cultivating a partnership based on value generation rather than a “customer/supplier” approach.
The similarities between the CIO and the CEO do not end there. Like any entrepreneur, we must steer our department’s performance and operational excellence, and take responsibility for reporting results—just as a CEO would to his or her board of directors or shareholders.
Of course, and I should have started here, like all good entrepreneurs, we need to be strategic, visionary, think “big” and act big. Quite often, moreover, we benefit from an extremely high degree of freedom of action and initiative-taking, as the central players in the transformation. More and more frequently, senior management is relying on us as their trusted right-hand men… It’s only a short step from there to climbing the last step to the top!
I have always applied and championed this entrepreneurial mindset as a CIO. I am convinced that it can change the way our role is perceived and generate greater attention and recognition. This virtuous cycle will give CIOs the means to achieve their ambitions, enable them to succeed in their missions, and lead their teams to great heights. For my part, ever since I’ve been running my own company, I’ve found this parallel even more striking.
So, fellow CIOs, recognize your own value, and don’t hesitate to adopt this mindset for the good of your organization!
Samuel Revenu, Abraxio CEO