And so … the debate meanders on around the world, wherever there is a survey or an opinion on who, what, why or when is a CIO or indeed from some commentary, was a CIO. Should we be innovating, cost cutting, building expertise or rampaging into boardrooms with all the answers tucked up our rather neat little double cuffed CIO sleeves?

More confusingly still: have we, like the legendary Norwegian Blue, begun to shuffle off to join ‘the choir invisible’? Are we rapidly becoming ex and demised and will someone have to nail our feet to the perch or at the very least to the boardroom table to prolong our visibility and livelihood?

Thus, should we be reinventing ourselves or is this all really a bit of a non sequitur in the sense that there is no absolute logic to be applied in our turbulent world as everything is just another stage in surviving the recession by adapting and playing to our strengths? In reality we do all this anyway, don’t we, as innovating, cost control and the development of talent are core principles of any CIO.

I believe we, as CIOs, will become whatever we need to become whether we like it or not (please try and rid yourselves of the disturbing vision of a golden-haired me in a blue flowered smock singing Que Sera Sera) and that there is no forcing or second guessing of the issues that we face. Role evolution will simply occur and we will get stuck in and deliver whatever the outcome.

What we can do, though, is take a real upgrade and reinvention of our interest in the business where we work; bring our many talents to the fore in what to me should be a time of opportunity for IT. And if we land up becoming CEOs,COOs, CPOs or whatever at the end of it all, then Hallelujah, brothers and sisters! We’ll do that too with panache, feeling and an undeniable sense of purpose and delight, because the role of the modern CIO is so very much more than it appears on the surface and certainly isn’t just about technology. Today’s CIO is a balanced amalgam of many roles because at any point on any given day a CIO may need to be the:-

1.      Chief Information Officer holding the keys to the information ‘gold’ of the organisation
2.      Chief Innovation Officer who rides the crest of the innovation ‘wave’ and delivers on his promises. May also be called the Chief Imagination Officer
3.      Chief Instigating Officer who initiates and begins work. A CIO is a very good ‘starter’
4.      Chief Implementation Officer delivers the bit in the middle of start and finish. Joined up thinking, planning, organising, leading and controlling because a CIO is a ‘finisher’ too
5.      Chief India-rubber Officer who bounces back and does not accept defeat but simply changes shape and ‘morphs’ to meet the circumstances
6.      Chief Intelligence Officer with complete awareness of trends, competition and markets who communicates these to the organisation. The CIO is also the smartest person in the business, of course
7.      Chief Investment Officer as a wise Investor in technology and people. Motivates and encourages excellence through investment in time, money and analysis.
8.      Chief Investigation Officer operating as the gatekeeper and forensic compliance officer for best practice and technology related behaviours
9.      Chief Irritation Officer when like the grain of sand that becomes a valuable pearl, the CIO irritates to good purpose to remind and embed strategy and corporate direction
10.  Chief Indulgence Officer and smoother of ruffled feathers who pours oil on the troubled waters of change

Like a well cut diamond, each facet of the CIO and their role provides balance to the others - combining in the whole to produce the brilliance and fire of the complete piece.  And of course the value!