C-Suite Builds Courage to Delve Into Business Tech

Instead of deferring any and all tech-related issues to the IT department, today's most successful C-suite leaders are diving deeply into technology challenges and solutions, according to a recent survey from ThoughtWorks. The accompanying report, "The Next Big Disruption: Courageous Executives," reveals that a majority of these leaders believe that the digitization and adoption of new technologies have become a top priority. As a result, most are developing an in-depth understanding of business technology, and some are even writing code. They're also paying more attention to what their customers are saying, and are responding to their feedback. "In order to survive in our rapidly changing world, it's vital to acknowledge that antiquated leadership won't push businesses forward," the report states. "For every slow-moving enterprise struggling to stay relevant, there's a lean startup about to change the landscape overnight. … In this era of chaos and uncharted possibility, courageous executives are the ones willing to challenge everything: the status quo, internal silos and immovable strategies. … They are erasing the lines between business and technology." A total of 150 CIOs, CTOs, CEOs and other c-level executives in Fortune 500 companies took part in the research, which was conducted by Northstar.