CIO — TECHNOLOGY’S PERVASIVENESS in the corporate landscape is unparalleled: It is a huge consumer of resources, both people and capital; it is the operational platform that drives the day-to-day business; and it holds the opportunities for the future. Thus, technology is inextricably linked to both the current and future success of most companies. As a result, technology leadership is merging with strategic and financial leadership, and the roles of the CEO, COO, CIO and CFO?among others?are being called into a partnership for the future. It’s known as a CXO partnership, and it requires new skills in today’s leaders.

What is a CXO partnership? First, understand that it is not about organizational structure. The CXO partnership is an informal one?a coalition and community of interest. It is built on relationships, trust, knowledge and the need to integrate that knowledge to optimize decision making in your company.

Which "O"s should participate in the CXO coalition? That depends. There are so many today: In addition to the well-worn CEO, CFO and COO, we now have CTOs (technology), CMOs (marketing), CCOs (customer advocate), CKOs (knowledge), CIOs (investment) and CIOs (information), just to name a few. It would be easy to get so hung up on the inclusion and exclusion decisions that you lose focus on what your objective really is. This is a flexible model. The nature of your business will drive the membership of the partnership. It can even vary depending on the decision. The CXO partnership is really just a blanket term for a collaborative form of leadership.

Here’s an example. Xerox’s outsourcing strategy started with a proposal from me (then CIO) to the division presidents. They recognized the strategic effect of this decision and recommended I move it to the CEO level. The CFO and CEO provided valuable support, counsel, perspective and direction as we tangled with the myriad issues inherent in this decision. We treated it the way you would a $2 billion to $3 billion acquisition or divestiture. The presidents provided us with an understanding of influences on business and customers. As the moment of decision neared, the CEO and CFO met with their counterparts from the bidding companies.

My favorite story from that period involves asking the executives to resist vendor attempts to bypass the selection process. We had such great cooperation that I received a phone call from one of the executives requesting permission to have dinner with a friend from one of the bidding companies. The executive gave me three options: a) decline, b) accept and invite me along, or c) accept and then take along a list of our issues. Can’t ask for better than that!

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