CIOs have a seat at the executive table. In contrast to findings in the past, most CIOs feel they are a valued member of the executive team and that they are highly involved in strategic decision-making.

CIO strategic engagement is key to a company’s innovation. Survey respondents who are involved in strategic decision-making score their companies’ use of IT for product, process, and business model innovation significantly higher.

Collaboration is an important area for improvement. CIOs feel comfortable with their C-level relationships, but they feel that improving relationships with lines of business are vitally important but not as strong as they should be.

There are rich areas of opportunity for CIOs to help their companies build competitive advantage. While respondents indicated high levels of IT usage for increasing process efficiency and enhancing internal information, they tended to agree that their companies could further leverage IT to reach new markets and improve external partnering.

CIO skill gaps lie mostly in the “soft stuff.” Respondents ranked their skills in soft areas such as political savvy, change management, and the ability to manage their own career progression lower than in other more quantifiable areas.