Be the Business is the latest offering from well-known CIO recruiter Martha Heller, author of the CIO Paradox, a well-written guide to the myriad trade-offs involved in being a successful CIO.
In her latest book, she further explores the challenges faced by CIOs in the new Digital era of disruption and transformation, and she proposes a significant shift in mindset as the key answer. Rather than a service provider, partner, or other analogous relationship, Heller’s suggestion is to envision IT as identical with the business, in the sense of how it measures its success and how it should set its priorities.
Increasingly, with new technologies rising in impact and disrupting so many industries, it is IT which both enables and envisions many companies’ futures. Owning that responsibility helps CIOs set their mindset on the right compass heading, and should also increase their wingspan and influence at the executive table as well.
The book is full of useful techniques and analogies for CIOs seeking to take this role in their organization, and is a worthy addition to every IT executive’s library.
