The 2021 State of the ½¿É«µ¼º½research confirmed CIOs’ pivotal role this past year, but can they live up to the high bar they’ve established for themselves?

Welcome to the Spring 2021 digital issue of CIO. In these pages, we take a deep dive into our annual State of the ½¿É«µ¼º½research to understand the evolving role of the CIO, including the areas where they are taking on new responsibilities, the top business initiatives driving IT investments, and some of the challenges ahead.
Contents
GROW
Customer-focused IT: A key ½¿É«µ¼º½imperative The pandemic amplified the need to reach customers through digital channels. Here’s how IT leaders in nearly every industry are responding.
LEAD
Building on IT’s business cred IT leaders seek to leverage political capital cultivated during the COVID-19 outbreak to further cement IT as business co-creators. Here’s how to focus on what matters most.
COVER STORY
The CIO’s next balancing act: Sustaining success The 2021 State of the ½¿É«µ¼º½survey confirmed CIOs’ pivotal role during the COVID-19 crisis, but can they live up to the high bar they’ve established for themselves?
VIDEO
2021 State of the CIO CIOs Sarah Naqvi from HMSHost and Nathan Rogers from SAIC join host John Gallant to unpack the results of CIO.com’s exclusive 2021 State of the ½¿É«µ¼º½survey and share insights from their own IT leadership challenges and goals.
RUN
5 myths of IT culture change To drive digital transformation, IT organizations must embrace change. Ineffective or outdated notions of what it takes can derail success.