What would be one of the words you would use to describe yourself? Technological? Strong? Communicative? How about confident? When you walk into a room, do you raise your neck a notch upwards or do you sink a little bit lower and wait for other people to take control?
Too many of us, and that includes a large number of CIOs, sink into the latter position. It seems more comfortable; if others are willing to be the centre of conversation, let them get on with it. Unfortunately, modern business is all about talking the talk.
In an age of self-proclaimed gurus, evangelists and entrepreneurs, CIOs have no choice but to advertise their personal strengths. Being recognised for your good operational work on behalf of the business is simply not good enough and will not get you that next senior position.
CIOs must act with confidence. They must talk with clarity about their achievements internally. They must stress, at all times, how the business is better because of IT.
Outside the office, CIOs must engage through social media and external speaking platforms. Your peers must look at you as someone that holds the floor; your c-suite peers must think of you as someone they would like to poach for their own business.
If that sounds grim, then you might be in the wrong business. The ever-competitive digital age is also the age of the individual, where everyone everywhere has the platform to boast about his or her strong points. You must develop a strong personal brand. So, get boasting if you don’t want to be left behind.
What do you think? Are you naturally confident and is confidence an essential tool to helping CIOs define their worth to the business? Will being confident make the difference to you grabbing that next executive position?
