Key CIO Traits for 2021: Determination, Sensitivity

According to Gartner data, determination and sensitivity are two critical characteristics for new chief information officers this year. "As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shift the landscape for how global CIOs manage, collaborate and respond to their stakeholders, so too does the demand for strong leadership and core emotional dexterity competencies," the research firm explained.

Determination was defined as "a firmness of resoluteness and in turning decisions into actions, despite how tough they are," while sensitivity was "the quality of feeling empathetic toward others' difficulties and acting accordingly." Demand for the determination trait increased 34 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, Gartner noted, and demand for sensitivity increased 92 percent.

CIOs who want to develop that kind of emotional dexterity can practice self-improvement techniques such as developing self-awareness, self-management and relationships, Gartner said. For example, high-performing CIOs are 30 percent more likely to practice gratitude for self-development, according to a Gartner survey on CIOs' emotional intelligence competencies. They are also more likely to coach and mentor others. Overall, the survey ranked transparency, authentic communications and collaboration as the top three most commonly admired emotional dexterity leadership traits.

"Being aware of the positive impact these behaviors and practices bring is paramount as organizations consider their vaccine strategy and employees return to work," said Rob O'Donohue, senior research director at Gartner, in a statement. "They'll be as important, if not more, than the technical skills a typical CIO embodies."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • cloud and circuit patterns with AI stamp

    Cloud Management Startup Launches Infrastructure Intelligence Tool

    A new AI-powered infrastructure intelligence tool from cloud management startup env0 aims to turn the fog of sprawling, enterprise-scale deployments into crisp, queryable insight, minus the spreadsheets, scripts, and late-night Slack threads.

  • human figures surrounded by precise arcs with book and gear icons

    Kennedy-King College Rolls Out Holistic Student Support Program

    Chicago's Kennedy-King College is expanding student support services through a collaboration between City Colleges of Chicago and One Million Degrees (OMD), a Chicago-based nonprofit serving low-income community college students.

  • college students in a classroom focus on a silver laptop, with a neural network diagram on the monitor in the background

    Report: 93% of Students Believe Gen AI Training Belongs in Degree Programs

    The vast majority of today's college students — 93% — believe generative AI training should be included in degree programs, according to a recent Coursera report. What's more, 86% of students consider gen AI the most crucial technical skill for career preparation, prioritizing it above in-demand skills such as data strategy and software development.

  • laptop and fish hook

    Security Firm Identifies Generative AI 'Vishing' Attack

    A new report from Ontinue's Cyber Defense Center has identified a complex, multi-stage cyber attack that leveraged social engineering, remote access tools, and signed binaries to infiltrate and persist within a target network.