CIOs must maintain both technical depth and communication skills
CIOs sit at a crossroads. They need to understand technology down to the core. At the same time, they must clearly explain these technologies to executives who are making multi-million-dollar decisions. If a CIO can’t do both, they fail at half their job.
Executives don’t need to know every technical detail. They need a clear picture of what a technology does, why it matters, and what risks are involved. This means CIOs must simplify, but not oversimplify. They must remove unnecessary complexity while keeping enough substance so decisions can be made with confidence.
On the other hand, engineers and IT staff expect their CIO to understand how things work, both as a high-level concept and with enough depth to hold a real conversation about implementation. If a CIO loses credibility with their technical staff, they lose visibility into the very systems they are responsible for.
This is not an easy balance. Keeping up with rapidly evolving technology while leading corporate strategy requires intense focus. But it’s necessary. Without this dual capability, a CIO risks becoming what too many executives already assume them to be—a bureaucrat pushing papers and approving budgets, disconnected from actual innovation. The best CIOs understand that real leadership means staying sharp on technology while also translating that expertise into meaningful strategic decisions.
The reality is, CIOs do a lot of work that isn’t visible to their teams. Budget negotiations, security briefings, vendor management—none of this is glamorous, but it keeps the organization moving forward. Still, engaging with engineers on meaningful technical details is vital.
Cybersecurity is a growing priority that demands advanced measures
Cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated, and companies that haven’t adapted will find themselves playing defense against threats they don’t fully understand. Boards and executives are increasingly prioritizing security because of compliance requirements and the financial and reputational damage from a breach being too high to ignore. The expectation for CIOs is clear: security must go beyond basic monitoring and occasional audits.
Traditional perimeter security isn’t enough. Attack methods evolve rapidly, and organizations need deeper visibility into their systems. Network and system observability provide this by analyzing how data and access points interact, identifying threats before they escalate. This approach is more dynamic than static safeguards, allowing organizations to detect the root cause of threats rather than simply reacting to incidents after the fact. CIOs must explain why these advanced methods matter and secure executive support to fund them.
On the technical side, security teams should reconsider their structure. Generalized security analysts may not be enough, especially in industries where cybersecurity threats have life-altering consequences—finance, healthcare, aerospace, and law enforcement, to name a few. Cyberthreat hunters are one answer, proactively identifying dormant malware before it activates. Security forensics specialists are another, focused on tracing security breaches back to their source. Hiring or training for these roles requires investment, but without them, threats go undetected until it’s too late.
“Some roles will evolve as organizations integrate more advanced detection methods, while others will need to be introduced outright. CIOs must lead these discussions, making sure both executive leadership and IT teams understand why these changes are necessary.”
Deep dives into generative and agentive AI are essential for strategic impact
Artificial intelligence is driving business decisions, restructuring workflows, and redefining competitive advantage. Companies are investing heavily in AI, but without leadership that understands its capabilities and risks, those investments will fail. CIOs need a clear grasp of what AI can do and how it operates at a fundamental level. Boards and executives will expect guidance on AI’s impact, while IT and data science teams require leadership that understands its technical execution.
There are two broad categories of AI that matter here: generative AI and agentive AI. Generative AI creates content—text, images, code, and more—based on trained data. It’s already widely adopted, but many executives still don’t fully understand how it works or what limitations it has. Agentive AI takes a step further. This opens new possibilities for efficiency but also raises concerns about control, accuracy, and accountability. CIOs must explain these distinctions clearly to executives so they can make informed decisions on adoption.
Generative models must draw from high-quality, vetted datasets, meaning organizations must ensure their data pipelines are clean, structured, and continuously refreshed. This is where processes like ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) come into play, making sure that the data fueling AI models is usable and reliable. For agentive AI, there’s an additional challenge: defining ethical boundaries around decision-making. Not every task should be fully automated, and CIOs must lead discussions on where to draw the line.
The success of AI initiatives depends on collaboration between business and technical teams. CIOs must make sure AI projects are well-funded and well-governed. Security risks, algorithm bias, and decision accountability all need ongoing attention.
Executives expect AI to drive efficiency and competitive advantage, but without careful execution, it can do more harm than good. Leadership that understands both strategic potential and technical reality ensures AI is deployed effectively.
Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) emerges as a critical cloud trend
Cloud adoption continues to accelerate, not only for computing and applications but now for network infrastructure itself. Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is the latest evolution, offering organizations a way to shift network management to external providers rather than handling it internally. This model has gained interest at the executive level because it promises lower upfront costs, simplified management, and reduced risk of infrastructure becoming obsolete too quickly. However, it also raises key questions about security, reliability, and long-term control, which CIOs must be prepared to answer.
Boards and executives will want to know why NaaS matters and how it fits into the company’s broader technology strategy. Outsourcing networking can reduce capital expenditures and eliminate some of the operational complexity of managing hardware. However, this approach also introduces dependencies on third-party vendors, requiring clear service-level agreements (SLAs), security guarantees, and contingency plans. CIOs must ensure leadership understands both the cost benefits and the risks.
On the IT side, decisions around NaaS adoption require careful evaluation. Not every organization should outsource its network, and for those that do, the extent of outsourcing must be determined. CIOs and their teams must analyze the impact on cost, network performance, security, and integration with existing applications before making a transition. Companies with high regulatory requirements or strict security needs may find that full-scale NaaS adoption creates unnecessary vulnerabilities. In contrast, businesses needing rapid scalability or reduced maintenance overhead may see significant advantages.
NaaS shifts some control away from internal teams, which raises concerns about response times, data privacy, and vendor lock-in. Clear contractual agreements and well-defined security measures are non-negotiable. CIOs must manage these discussions, ensuring leadership understands both the opportunities and the limitations. This impacts long-term flexibility, security, and how the business operates. Strong leadership makes sure the shift to NaaS, if pursued, is strategic rather than reactive.
The modern CIO role is exceptionally demanding and multifaceted
The role of the CIO is more demanding than ever. Companies rely on their CIOs to drive digital transformation, ensure security, and implement major innovations, all while managing budgets, compliance, and vendor relationships. A CIO who can’t balance strategic leadership with deep technical knowledge will struggle to gain the trust of either the executive team or their IT staff.
Executives expect CIOs to present a clear technology roadmap that aligns with business goals. They want updates on security, AI, cloud strategy, and operational efficiencies without being overloaded with technical details. At the same time, IT teams look to the CIO for informed leadership on complex implementations. The challenge is that much of the CIO’s work—negotiating budgets, ensuring compliance, and handling executive relationships—is not visible to most employees. If not handled carefully, this can create the perception that CIOs are detached from the core technology.
To be effective, CIOs must stay engaged at all levels. This means maintaining credibility with technical teams by understanding the details of evolving technologies while also articulating their relevance in board meetings. Failing to do this results in disconnects—executives may not fully grasp why key investments matter, and IT teams may feel they are being led by someone who doesn’t understand their challenges. Balancing both requires focus, discipline, and continuous learning.
The author recalls a conversation with his company’s CFO, who admitted, “I’m sure glad I’m not doing your job. It seems impossible.” That sentiment reflects the growing complexity of the CIO role. However, leadership in this space has never been more impactful. A strong CIO translates technology into business strategy, ensures innovation is executed effectively, and keeps the organization ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Key executive takeaways
- CIOs must balance technical depth with communication: To lead effectively, CIOs must understand technology at a deep level while articulating its business impact to executives. Staying engaged in both technical discussions and strategic decision-making ensures credibility with IT teams and leadership.
- Advanced cybersecurity measures are a business imperative: Traditional security approaches aren’t sufficient. CIOs should invest in network and system observability while considering specialized roles like cyberthreat hunters and security forensics experts to detect and mitigate evolving threats.
- AI strategy requires both technical oversight and ethical governance: CIOs must guide organizations in leveraging generative and agentive AI while ensuring data quality, algorithm integrity, and ethical safeguards. AI’s business impact depends on structured data pipelines and well-defined decision-making controls.
- Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) demands careful evaluation: Executives are drawn to NaaS for its cost-effectiveness and scalability, but CIOs must assess security, vendor reliance, and operational impact before outsourcing network functions. Clear SLAs and risk mitigation plans are essential.
- CIOs must navigate expanding roles and expectations: The modern CIO role spans cybersecurity, AI, cloud strategy, compliance, and executive alignment. Balancing strategic leadership with hands-on technical awareness is critical to maintaining influence and driving impactful technology adoption.
