Summary

The journey to becoming a successful CIO or CISO is a deeply personal one. At times, it is one that requires us to be uncomfortable and willing to learn. The volume of growth and the time required to complete it will depend on your own traits and the existing gaps.

There is no such thing as a perfect CIO or CISO. Having ambition and drive is an essential ingredient, but without a clear plan to get there, this will be a longer path.

This chapter introduced traits that the CIO and CISO commonly possess, and a few more that are more role-specific. If you can work on these identified areas and understand which soft skills require focus, this can accelerate your journey. In other words, the road to becoming a CIO or CISO will require you to self-examine your strengths and weaknesses. I have introduced how I use the SKEB model for this purpose.

I have worked with hundreds of CIOs and CISOs – they are all different, but many also share the same traits that have made...