CPP, the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, has released a set of seven traits CIOs need to be thriving leaders.
CPP utilized the California Psychology Inventory assessment to outline the traits. Here are CPP's seven characteristics of a successful CIO, as covered by CIO.com.
1. Empathy. By seeking to understand your employees, your leadership style will be more effective. "CIOs who demonstrate empathy are able to get inside their employees' and coworkers' experiences and try to imagine what they are thinking and feeling," said Sherrie Haynie, a personality expert with CPP.
2. Dominance. This trait requires a balance. Being too dominant could put you at risk of intimidating your employees, but being submissive could portray a lack of confidence or willpower. Finding the equilibrium between each side of the spectrum will result in valuable leadership.
3. Self-awareness. "Leaders who demonstrate high self-awareness are comfortable with themselves, which means they recognize their flaws yet remain confident in what they bring to the table," Ms. Haynie said. Be willing to accept both your strengths and your flaws — it will help you be more relatable to your employees.
4. Flexibility. Leaders — especially CIOs — have to be flexible and willing to adapt not only to a changing workplace, but also to a changing world. However, you should refrain from becoming overly flexible as it could make you appear too flaky.
5. Insightfulness. Like self-awareness, insightfulness gives CIOs a leg up on better relating to their employees. "A CIO who can demonstrate insightfulness will have a better understanding of what motivates their team and often realize that those motivators are very complicated," Ms. Haynie said.
6. A balance between rule-favoring and rule-questioning. The key is to find the perfect middle point between obsessing over the rules and breaking every guideline. CIO.com claims leaders who do find this balance are more innovative — they're interested in breaking traditions but staying up-to-date on trends.
7. Independence. "Too much independence may lead to a siloed working environment," said Ms. Haynie. "Showing little independence as a leader is never good as it may indicate a lack of tenacity and the tendency to quit when they run into trouble." CIOs should strive to be collaborative, but refrain from overly relying on others.