10 ways to grow as an IT leader in 2026
Demands on IT executives are running high, with expectations that they’ll drive AI-fueled transformation, navigate changing economic and geopolitical conditions, calm nervous workers, and deliver wins in what multiple pundits have labeled a VUCA environment — a military term for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.Such conditions put leadership skills to the test, so it’s best to be prepared. Here, IT leaders, recruiters, researchers, and advisers share what actions CIOs can take to successfully lead through whatever lies ahead in 2026.1. Build executive presenceExecutive presence is a particularly valuable leadership trait for today’s high-stakes environment, says Eric Bloom, executive director of the IT Management and Leadership Institute.Executive presence is not any particular skill but rather the ability to inspire confidence. Some list out the “7 Cs” of executive presence as composure, connection, charisma, confidence, credibility, clarity, and conciseness. Others describe it as having gravitas.Bloom talks about it as being comfortably able to command a room, knowing how to show up and draw positive attention to what one is saying while also listening attentively to others and empathizing with them.“It’s knowing what flies and what doesn’t,” he says.This may come to some naturally, but Bloom says it can be learned and enhanced with intention. For example, he advises CIOs to study the style of speakers who command the most attention and respect from others to learn what to emulate. And he recommends studying those executives who don’t seem to have much sway to learn what not to do.2. Hone your business skillsIf CIOs are going to be effective executives, they must understand the businesses they lead. Many veteran CIOs possess the business acumen they need, which is why they’ve succeeded in their roles long term, but Bloom says many early-tenure CIOs still have much to learn.“The jobs in IT can still be very technical, so those who move up tend to be very technology-centric. But in the top role, it can’t be. You have to be a business executive first who also happens to know how to run an IT shop,” he says. “And now with AI, it’s more important than ever, because AI touches everything in the organization. That means the CIO has to have a wider understanding of the organization.”CIOs can do this, he says, by using the same strategic planning and budget tools their executive peers use, a tactic that will help CIOs align to the needs of the business; joining industry organizations and not just IT associations; and seeking opportunities to learn and master business concepts.Rebecca Gasser, global CIO at FGS Global, is on that path. More specifically, she’s studying corporate finance and digging into the nuances of how finance operates — treasury, tax, controls, audits, compliance, and how it all fits together. “One day I might want to grow into a COO or CEO, and even if I don’t, it helps me be a better business partner to our executives,” she says.3. Tune up your technical skillsThe CIO role requires both business and technical knowledge. For the past five years or so CEOs and boards were looking to hire CIOs with an equal mix of both, according to Kristen Lamoreaux, president and CEO of Lamoreux Search.But AI changed that equilibrium, she says, as organizational executives and their boards turn to their CIOs to lead the development and execution of an AI strategy.“With all things AI, the pendulum is swinging toward the best CIOs being the ones who really understand emerging technologies,” Lamoreux says.Those leading CIOs are investing time to get deep into the technology of AI and bleeding-edge tech so they can educate their colleagues on what they should know about those technologies and their potential impacts on the business, she explains, adding that she knows dozens of CIOs who are signing up for technical courses these days.She says they then are better positioned to effectively evaluate partners and vendors, knowing they can competently do so because they have a depth of knowledge in the technologies they’re assessing.4. Step up your work with professional organizationsAnother way to grow as a leader, Bloom says, is to widen and deepen your involvement in professional organizations.“The knowledge you’ll gain increases your capabilities as a thought leader,” he explains. “It also gives you external gravitas. If you’re the president of the local Society for Information Management chapter, for example, that establishes you as sort of an industry expert. It adds to your professional stature, and that in general adds to your executive presence, and people will want to listen to you.”5. Work on your agilityTechnology, business, and economic conditions can change on a dime, which makes the ability to pivot when needed a critical leadership trait, says Warren Lenard, state CIO and agency head for the Indiana Office of Technology.“An important part of any successful leader is to be able to say, ‘I’ve changed my opinion,’ as you revisit information or find new information,” he says. “That’s one of the greatest things a leader can do. You can’t let pride or ego get in the way of being able to turn. Being able to turn is a good thing.”It’s a trait Lenard cultivated, noting that “it’s something I’ve achieved as I’ve gotten mature in my career.”Lenard says being an attentive listener and open to others’ insights helps him identify whether he needs to pivot. He says his agility stems from being focused on the end goal and not being wedded to a specific pathway to that goal. It also stems from being humble enough to acknowledge when a current path isn’t leading the organization to where it wants to go. He also credits the book Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working by Dan Heath for helping him develop the ability to gracefully change course when needed.6. Get better at building great teamsCoaches are only as good as their teams; that’s as true in business as it is in sports, says Lamoreaux.She says top-notch CIOs have mastered team-building skills. They prioritize upskilling and are strategic in how they do so, as they identify staffers whose talent and dedication warrant stretch assignments and intensive courses while still finding effective, targeted training opportunities for everyone else.“They know who their key people are and ask them what they need to grow and work like crazy to give it to them,” Lamoreaux says, noting that the most successful IT leaders are also attentive to succession planning, so they’re not left with holes on their team when one of their top performers leaves.7. Be more empatheticSome 52% of workers are worried about the future impact of AI use in the workplace, and 32% think the technology will lead to fewer job opportunities for them in the long run, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey. A 2025 Reuters/Ipsos poll found 71% fear AI will cause permanent job loss, among other concerns.Although figures vary from one report to the next, research has consistently indicated that people are nervous as they head into the new year, with worries including AI-related job displacement and economic concerns.Such sentiments require leaders who understand workers’ worries.As a result, the most respected executives today have a high Human Quotient, not just a high IQ, Lamoreaux says. They’re able to deliver difficult news when necessary, understand the impact of tough decisions, and have authentic concern for those impacted.Like other traits of good leaders, empathy can be cultivated, Lamoreaux says. CIOs looking to nurture it can start by being attentive to the basic rules of relationship management (such as being an active listener). Volunteering is another way to build empathy. Lamoreaux volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House charity and knows firsthand how that changes one’s perspective.“When you’re preparing to meet a family who doesn’t know if their kid is going to make it, you see them as people first and not a name on a list,” she says. “That has a big impact on you. And you bring that back to your work with you, you bring that ‘humanity first’ back with you. It gets you to focus on other people and think about what other people are going through.”8. Sharpen all your people skillsAI is one of the most transformative technologies to come along in a long time. CIOs are instrumental in leading people through that change — and they must be better at it than they’ve been in the past, says Jason Pyle, president and managing director of Harvey Nash US and Canada, an IT recruitment and consultancy firm.“It will come down to navigating all the human elements,” he says.Pyle advises CIOs to grow their interpersonal skills, including their emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and listening abilities.These are characteristics that can be developed, but it takes effort and a willingness to work differently, Pyle explains, adding that CIOs can work with mentors and ask peers for honest assessments to pinpoint areas for improvement.“Anytime you’re starting down a pathway of change, you have to talk to people you trust, let them know what you’re working on, and then set a measuring stick,” Pyle says. “It’s about taking steps to make adjustments and to self-assess and assess with others.”9. Serve on a boardKaren Swift, vice president of IT at Penske Media, is looking to expand her board work beyond nonprofits to for-profit entities.“I look at it as a reach goal for growth,” she says. “It is different from what my career has been, I find it really interesting to be able to shape an organization and be part of the decisions on where it’s going.”Swift also says serving on boards helps her better understand what her own company’s board may want from her as a CIO.10. Commit, plot for growthThe business notion of “adapt or die” applies to CIOs, too, more so now than ever before as transformation happens in increasingly faster cycles.That creates an imperative for CIOs to continuously change to meet current needs.So CIOs who want to keep pace and grow their leadership skills should first commit to making it happen — and then identify ways to move the needle. Growing new skills, like new muscle, requires engagement, repetition, and time.“Have that hunger and passion to learn new skills, and come up with strategies on how to execute that,” advises Thomas Phelps IV, CIO and SVP of corporate strategy at Laserfiche and an advisory board member for the SIM Research Institute.
