Stories by Carrie Mathews

The IT leaders who make up the CIO Executive Council are finding themselves more often called upon to address the boards of directors at their companies. For many this is an alien environment, full of high-powered, short-attention-span executives with little affinity for technology. CIOs want to learn how to be more effective in their communications with the board and improve their success in conveying the challenges, opportunities and successes in helping achieve business goals that their department offers. We turned to some of our more board-seasoned members for insights in wowing the board.

CIOs reshape their IT culture to create an organization capable of partnering strategically with the rest of the business

An end user calls the support desk for help connecting a new iPod to the desktop. Another asks how to add Skype capability to the desktop. Consumer IT - technology and devices initially designed and marketed for use in the consumer space - has infiltrated the workplace

You've noticed it seeping into the IT workday. An end user calls the support desk for help connecting a new iPod to the desktop. Another asks how to add Skype capability to the desktop. Consumer IT-technology and devices initially designed and marketed for use in the consumer space-has infiltrated the workplace.

With help from the CIO Executive Council, we tap into research about successful executives. Read on to learn more about the competencies CIOs need to develop to take the corner office, where CIOs fall short — and what CEOs expect from CIOs

The CIO Executive Council tells how to develop the business mind-set.

Opportunities for relationship building occur every moment of a CIO's workday. Whether it's attending meetings, dropping by a peer's office or spending a few days at an offsite, a CIO is constantly in the process of forging ties.

Do you know your executive quotient (EQ)? By figuring your EQ, you can determine how well you're positioned to be the strategy-oriented CIO that businesses are demanding

The first days of a new job are nerve-wracking for anyone. But for CIOs, those first days and weeks are often seen as a test of their abilities as leaders

Take off your CIO hat for a moment and imagine you're in charge of building a new housing development. The first thing you'd do is hire an architectural firm to create a master plan. Then you'd bring in the builders. They'd take the blueprint and build your development, hewing to the architectural vision. Now, put your CIO hat back on. This analogy - offered by Michael Rapken, CIO of transportation company YRC Worldwide - is worth internalizing as you construct your IT department today.

The CIO Executive Council shares insights and tips on VoIP implementation.

Techniques for growing IT employees