This is a great write-up on IT leadership, by Chuck Price, SVP of Technology at CoreSite. “The Schizophrenic CIO” builds on a recent IBM study that outlines not only what the goals of a contemporary CIO should but also the capacities they need to be successful in achieving those goals:

1. To successfully “make innovation real,” one must balance being an insightful visionary and an able pragmatist.
2. To successfully “raise the ROI of IT,” one must balance being a savvy value creator and a relentless cost cutter.
3. To successfully “expand your business impact,” one must balance being a collaborative business leader and an inspiring IT manager.

Yes, it is trendy to talk about how much simpler IT has gotten, with many going so far as to say it is simply a commodity. But Chuck makes some good points about how hard it is to find leaders today who can manage technology strategically, because they need such a balance of leadership traits that may seem in opposition at first blush. I agree, for these reasons and more, it is harder to find good leaders for IT today than ever before. I’ll be writing more on IT leadership capacities in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!