What it takes to win your first CIO role [Video]

Aspiring IT leaders take note: CIOs are becoming increasingly multidimensional and business-centric — changing the trajectory and preparation for first timers seeking top IT leadership roles.

Credit: Yaroslav Astakhov / Shutterstock

Joy Brown’s rise through the upper echelons of digital and IT roles models what is now requisite preparation for technology leadership. Primed by a rotational program that cycled through varied assignments to build a technology-plus-business foundation, Brown was able to develop a robust process orientation in addition to skills in communications, large-scale change management, even a Master Black Belt Six Sigma certification.

Subsequent leadership roles built out her experience with data, analytics, AI, and machine learning while handing Brown direct accountability for technology-driven business results — a precursor to full P&L responsibility. Through every career step, Brown was intentional in her choices, pursuing roles that filled in key competency gaps, stretched her outside of her comfort zone, and burnished the well-rounded profile now essential …