I would bet that you get many different opinions on this, but for *my* money, a good CIO should have a strong understanding of these things:
Forecasting – Any C-Level executive should be able to have a good handle on their particular specialty’s goals for the immediate and long-term, and the resources needed to achieve them.
International Relations – A CIO should be able to understand the global stage, as IT is not a one-country item.
Interpersonal Skills – *All* C-Level executives need to be good leaders. This includes, but goes beyond management – you need to be able to set tasks in motion but motivate people to keep them on
Subject Matter Expert – Above all – you have to know your stuff. Getting an MBA is fine, but if you don’t know anything about CyberSecurity, how to write a Recovery plan, what to do in situations… I’d honestly be more likely to hire someone who was IN the role, being mentored by a CISO, doing the stuff than someone who took time off to earn a degree in something unrelated.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/What-MBA-will-help-when-looking-to-be-the-CIO-of-a-company-one-day
Originally Posted On: 2015-02-02