CTOs are well-positioned to become CEOs, but some may prefer to stay where they are AMID THE CHALLENGES of the past couple of years, many CTOs have been so busy managing their budgets, people, CEOs, and company boards that they’ve paid little attention to managing their own careers. Sometimes it’s useful step back and take a longer view of one’s career goals. The career-planning challenges of the CTO are unique for several reasons. For many, the CTO job is the pinnacle of a technologist’s career, so where do you go from there? Fortunately, the mix of technology and business acumen that has led most CTOs to their current positions gives them a broad range of options for the future. Some think that today’s CTOs are tomorrow’s CEOs, and judging from the CTOs I meet on a regular basis, their skills, personalities, and drive can play at the highest level. I often write about how CTOs do not see technology as a cost center, but rather as a means for creating competitive advantage. If you take a look at businesses that are thriving in a down market, most combine solid business management with effective use of technology — the essence of the CTO point of view. Although PCs represent a stagnant commodity market, a company such as Dell continues to post incredible growth through the intelligent use of technology. With a seat at the table in the boardroom, CTOs contribute at the highest level while they continue to watch and learn. In September, Michael Capellas, then president of Hewlett-Packard, said at the HP World conference that he sees a “mega-trend” developing of high-level IT executives replacing the sales and marketing execs that currently dominate corporate boardrooms. Capellas is now CEO of WorldCom. Look for a growing number of CEOs with CTO backgrounds in coming years. Although CTOs are building the personal and professional capabilities to become future CEOs, some CTOs simply don’t aspire to the chief executive position, and that’s perfectly respectable. Directly managing technology initiatives has its own rewards, and the constant innovation in technology makes the CTO job inherently interesting and challenging. Staying in the CTO job for the long term still provides plenty of opportunities for career growth. Although I have written about the importance of a CTO developing relationships with CTOs outside his or her company, I think it’s equally — if not more — important for a CTO to continually develop relationships with peers within the company: the CFO, the vice president of marketing, and the vice president of sales. Understanding finance, how to craft messages to your company’s customers, and the challenges of the sales process serves to inform technology decision-making to more closely align with the needs of the business and its customers. Some CTOs grow accustomed to being the technology “wizard on the mountaintop.” Executives often ask the CTO the difficult technology-related questions, and he or she provides wise answers. The CTO who wants to grow in his or her role should leverage the expertise of the wizards in the other areas of the business by asking questions. Ask the vice president of sales what customers are demanding from your products and services. Talk to the vice president of marketing about what types of messaging are working in the market. Sit down with the CFO to understand how new accounting regulations affect how your business operates. Understanding all aspects of the business will make you a better CTO or prepare you for the corner office. If you want it. Technology Industry