There is a key personality difference between CIOs and CEOs that could affect CIO job performance as they move up the ranks into the C-suite, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The most drastic difference between CIOs and CEOs centers around how each one perceives the world: CIOs lean on concrete information gathered from the five senses while CEOs are more focused on intuition or perception, according to the report.
These differences can be quantified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tests, psychometric evaluations that pair individuals with job prospects matched to their personalities.
The article points to research from Joe Peppard, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology, which found 70 percent of CIOs fall under the ISTJ personality type: Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. According to the article, those who fall under ISTJ are introverts instead of extroverts, perceive the world through senses instead of intuition, base decisions on thoughts rather than feelings, and use judgment (i.e., predictability and planning) rather than perception (i.e., adaptability and flexibility).
The majority of other C-suiters fall under INTJ (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging and Extroversion)or ENTJ (Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging) personality types.
These personality differences come into play when CIOs are working with other C-suiters, according to the article. Sherrie Haynie, an organization development consultant with CPP, the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, said in the report that individuals should have awareness of these differences and acknowledge their preference for viewing things in a certain way. "Having that awareness in being able to develop and consider other options and think outside the box — anyone can learn to do that."
As CIOs increasingly hold a presence in the C-suite, learning to work with other executives and their personality preferences can be a challenge, but it is critical to smooth operations and professional relationships, according to the report.
More articles on CIOs:
Life after healthcare: Why CIOs do, and don't, leave the industry
From the C-suite: 5 thoughts on the evolving role of CIO
Life of a healthcare CIO: University of Mississippi Medical Center's David Chou