The CIO must have a strategic place to keep up management and management over transformational initiatives, comparable to these involving generative AI and brokers. However earlier than being influential, the CIO should first be seen — shedding gentle on a typical paradox of IT management: the higher a CIO does their job, the much less they seem within the enterprise narrative.

The paradox of silent success

In 2013, Barclays introduced newly appointed International CIO Shaygan Kheradpir into the manager committee for the primary time with a transparent mission: to speed up digital transformation. In lower than two years, he achieved spectacular outcomes. Digital lending doubled and cell banking grew by 56%. Nonetheless, when he left the establishment, his identify and contributions barely surfaced, communicated nearly as a facet observe. The know-how had been applied so effectively it turned invisible.

A decade later, that paradox stays for a lot of IT leaders. Generative AI and brokers have put the CIO on the middle of operations, however not essentially on the middle of conversations. In accordance with CIO.com’s State of the CIO 2025 report, 40% of CIOs within the EMEA area report on to the CEO, effectively under the worldwide determine of 58%. Moreover, as former CIO and know-how management skilled Mark Settle warns: “In the true world, nevertheless, a CEO reporting relationship could not translate into true political clout.”

In different phrases, even when the CIO advances within the organizational chart, there stays a threat that the CIO’s silent success will turn out to be normalized. But when the narrative doesn’t embody the CIO, the group loses path in the case of innovation. And the CIO loses their potential to affect. Subsequently, they should know whether or not they’re turning into invisible.

Indicators the CIO is dropping visibility

A CIO doesn’t all of the sudden turn out to be invisible; it’s a slow-burning phenomenon. This makes it troublesome to detect and might turn out to be embedded within the firm’s tradition. Under, we current a set of indicators {that a} CIO could also be drifting exterior the strategic house.

One of many clearest indicators is when strategic innovation tasks start to be outlined with out the CIO within the dialog. As an alternative of main, IT is assigned the position of implementing. In lots of instances departments comparable to Advertising and marketing, Buyer Service, and Worker Help have launched, and even scaled, AI tasks with out involving IT till late within the course of. In accordance with the “Contained in the C-Suite” examine performed by Foundry in 2024, solely 48% of know-how leaders actively take part in defining technological alternatives and selections.

One other signal reveals a cultural legacy that persists in lots of organizations: The enterprise doesn’t have a transparent imaginative and prescient of IT’s contribution. There’s a notion that every little thing works, or that IT is concerned in lots of tasks, however it stays generic and undefined. Even when productiveness features or enhancements in buyer expertise happen, these are internally labeled as implementation or optimization.

Because of this, enterprise outcomes are usually not attributed to or related with the IT division. Visibility is misplaced to different areas, as a result of that’s the place the affect is seen. That is an early warning of the displacement of the CIO, who’s perceived much less as a pacesetter within the transformation and extra as a supporter.

This diffusion of the CIO position is growing with the gradual emergence of rising roles within the organizational chart, comparable to chief digital officer, chief information officer, or chief AI officer, which can overlap with the CIO operate. These positions are created with a clearly outlined mission: to advance digital transformation, monetize information, or speed up the adoption of generative AI. Moreover, they’re accompanied by a change mandate and a direct connection to the enterprise. On this context, the CIO runs the chance of turning into related to a extra diffuse notion, as somebody who operates within the background.

Luckily, CIOs can reverse this dynamic. They’ve the house and capability to determine themselves as leaders of the group’s know-how technique.

Recovering the house of affect

Reclaiming that house doesn’t rely on launching campaigns or reorganizations, however on positioning oneself. To attain this, we suggest three traces of motion: redefining indicators, constructing alliances, and main the digital narrative.

Develop enterprise KPIs accompanied by a narrative

The primary component to assessment is metrics, as they’re a cornerstone of IT visibility within the enterprise. In accordance with the IDC CIO Sentiment Survey 2024, solely two of the highest seven CIO metrics are linked to innovation or progress. New KPIs are wanted, aligned with administration priorities, comparable to income era, effectivity, or time-to-market.

Moreover, information alone is not sufficient; it should be accompanied by a story. For instance, a 99.98% availability determine will have an effect if it hyperlinks to the power to maintain income throughout peak demand with out interruption. It’s this mixture of metrics and narrative that makes the CIO’s outcomes seen.

Create alliances with enterprise items

At a time when innovation is digital, it is senseless for the CIO’s involvement to be restricted to delivering know-how. True worth emerges when the CIO sits with enterprise items from the very starting of every undertaking and co-creates initiatives, contributing their full perspective and judgment.

For this to occur, an evolution within the relationship with the enterprise areas is important, creating mutual understanding and constructing a basis of belief. If the CIO takes step one towards rapprochement, an area will naturally open through which she or he will likely be perceived as a strategic accomplice.

Main the digital story

The CIO can’t delegate the group’s technological narrative. She or he has a novel cross-cutting imaginative and prescient that encompasses programs, information, and processes. This enables the CIO to attach all initiatives by way of a coherent narrative.

This narrative isn’t simply crucial for high administration. It’s additionally required by buyers and society, which wants to know the fast adjustments happening. The CIO has a novel alternative to undertaking the worth of IT past execution and set up their thought management.

The present context calls for that the CIO ship extra than simply outcomes: It calls for a visual presence. If the CIO doesn’t occupy that house, a void will likely be created, crammed by different roles that lack the CIO’s perspective. The enterprise wants the CIO’s position as a strategic interlocutor to advance solidly in AI and the digital financial system.

Alberto Bellé is a principal analyst at Foundry Analysis in Spain.