Episode 26 - Understanding the CIO Leadership Transition

State of the CIO

It’s no secret that the role of the CIO has changed over the past few years, but understanding leadership transitions is what separates average CIOs from the greats. Tony Gerth, author, clinical professor and principal of ABG Executive Advisors, conducted a study on how CIOs transition into new appointments and how long it takes for them to gain mastery of the job. Gerth learned that regardless of the transition style, CIOs will experience taking charge of a new role over the course of three distinct, overlapping phases: the entry, stabilization and renewal phase.

It’s important to manage the transition period of a CIO properly in order to be a great leader. Gerth shares what CIOs should accomplish during each phase of transition, how to be a great CIO instead of just average and the top three reasons why CIOs are unsuccessful in this week’s episode.

Key Takeaways:

• Gerth constructed research on how CIOs transition into a new appointment and how long it takes them to gain mastery of the job in that organization
• Regardless of the transition context or whether the person is an insider or outsider, they experience taking charge of new appointments over the course of three distinct but overlapping phases
• The CIO role is very ambiguous; even after 40 years of evolution, the role is still evolving

Tony Gerth’s book,

Taking the Reins as CIO: A Blueprint for Leadership Transitions

, can be found on Amazon in hardcover and Kindle versions.