Why CIOs Need

When 90% of a CIO’s success depends on emotional intelligence, it’s time to master this skill, says Gartner research vice president Bard Papegaaij.

- Bard Papegaaij

A CIO at a large enterprise has the right skills and the right talent, but still struggles to get a seat at the executive table. A computer programmer in an IT firm is one of the best software developers, but is often ignored by the product development team.

This could be because of one simple thing — their lack of emotional intelligence (EI).

From computer programmers to CIOs, few have the luxury of a lone-wolf mentality in today’s work environment. EI is the ability to deal effectively with emotions — your own and those of others — and is a must-have for today’s CIO and other IT professionals.

Why EI is crucial for CIOs

IT is a highly technical domain and emphasises rational thinking, problem solving and a logical, fact based approach. Although it may be risky to generalise, it is safe to say that most people in IT don’t typically think about the impact of their emotions on their work.

As a result, CIOs spend (often significantly) less time and effort on developing EI in themselves and their employees than most other professions. This does not work to the CIO’s advantage, as people with higher EI deliver better results in areas like team leadership, influencing people, organisational awareness and self-confidence. In highly technical jobs and leadership roles, EI accounts for more than 90% of a person’s performance and success.

There are several reasons why CIOs may need EI even more than people in other professions and roles.