It is a reality that competition in the workplace exists. People have goals and ambition and you can be someone who can be neutral, can assist someone else with their goals or get in their way. CIOs must be keenly aware of this as the CIO has an increasingly pervasive roll in all areas of the business. This means the potential for some power and influence and at the same time, the potential to be a target. CIOs have goals and ambition too. You’re going to need support to fulfill those goals.
The engineering mindset can be a tricky thing in leadership circles, especially in my world of higher education. Logic and optimization don’t always play a primary role in decision making. If you see your leadership going in a clearly sideways route where you know better, take time to study. They may know your better way. Maybe it is you who doesn’t realize they have different frames they are looking at to make those decisions. It isn’t always the efficiency and optimization frame that wins the day.
You must be aware of these dynamics. You are in a great position to help many people which is an advantage CIOs have. Just be careful. Don’t let your own ambition get in the way. It isn’t all glory. Pace yourself. Sometimes letting someone else win means you win. This is something you may be a natural at but chances are, you’re going to need to study your team and listen and learn from examples.
Michael Dawisha 