Leadership Slideshow:
CIO Success: 10 Tactics for Strong Leadership

As CIO, you are expected to innovate and build the business, while at the same time you're responsible for the nitty-gritty work of making sure that systems are running, hardware is kept up-to-date, long-term architecture strategy is being developed and executed, transformation programs are being rolled out, and proper governance around security and risk is being ensured. Whew! It's easy to fall into the trap of becoming the reactive CIO, digging deeply into every urgent IT issue that eats up your time and prevents you from doing the kind of "big picture" thinking that career success requires. You've probably tried some (or all) of these tricks of the trade: hiring a chief of staff; asking your executive assistant to schedule "think time" in your calendar; taking leadership training courses; starting lists; working late; canceling meetings. Read on for the 10 steps you can take to end this vicious cycle. Want to learn more? View the full feature article, A 10-Step Playbook For CIO Success. Don Desiderato is a principal at Novarica and a former CIO of Prudential Annuities.