Stories by Maryfran Johnson

"Technology is easy. People are tough."

Business users everywhere these days seem to be losing their collective minds and going rogue. Not in the inimitable style of a certain former governor of Alaska, but in the combative style of impatient teenagers who want what they want when they want it. (That would be now.)

In the final analysis, cloud computing may not actually save your company any money. I've heard that point argued convincingly by many CIOs in recent months, even those making big investments in cloud technologies. "It's really just a different way of sourcing IT," as one put it. "Everybody still gets paid."

"Follow the money" is classic advice for investigative journalists, auditors and entrepreneurs. But for CIOs? That doesn't quite compute. If anything, CIOs have a reputation for being risk-averse and hypercautious with corporate dollars-just ask any hot-eyed startup CEO who's ever pitched to one of you.

"I'm so done with alignment," declared the CIO pacing across the stage at our CIO Perspectives New York event a few weeks ago. "It's not even part of the conversation anymore. IT and the business are in this together. Period."

Writing about leadership feels a bit like writing about unicorns, those mythical creatures that have inspired fairy tales since ancient times. There is that same elusive, almost unattainable quality to everything related to leadership: describing it, finding it, developing it.

As someone with a mild-to-moderate addiction to Bare Escentuals cosmetics, I have to admit that my heart skipped a beat while reading Kim Nash's cover story ("Four Kinds of IT Professionals CIOs Need to Hire Now").

You could probably guess most of the FBI's top 10 priorities, listed on the agency's website in the "about us" section. The first nine run the gamut from combating violent crime and terrorist threats to protecting civil rights. But the 10th one might surprise you. It says, "Upgrade technology to successfully perform the FBI's mission." That one falls to the agency's CIO, Chad Fulgham.

Have you friended your chief marketing officer yet? If you're like most CIOs, I'll bet not. Being Best Friends Forever with the CMO is still a ways off your radar screen.

Everybody in our industry seems to love giving CIOs advice. How often have you heard those memorable bromides about understanding your business, thinking "more strategically" or connecting with customers?

One of my favorite panelists of all time was something of a discipline problem. He made funny faces at the other panelists. He slumped theatrically when he disagreed with someone. He got so animated when his turn came that he nearly fell out of his chair.

CIO magazine's Hall of Fame started with Joe Levy and his idea to honor the leaders of the information age. Yet the founder and longtime president of CIO didn't actually have CIOs in mind -- at least not at first.

There are CIOs who favor the bold strike over slower, more considered moves.

"I think I'm becoming overclouded! Is that a word?" asked a CIO friend of mine a few weeks ago. (It may not be yet, I was thinking, but it will be soon.)

Panel discussions have a bad reputation for good reason. Far too often, they're boring, repetitious and as lifeless as a lineup of bobble-head dolls.