Is it easy or hard? What behaviors or actions demonstrate that a CIO is a stinker?The Wall Street Journal has a great article—Keys to Spotting a Flawed CEO Before It’s Too Late (registration required)—that got me considering the same question for CIOs: How do you identify a bad CIO? What are the tell-tale signs? Is it possible for recruiters and hiring managers to read the writing on the wall before they hire the stinker CIO? Terry Leap, a management professor with Clemson University, notes in the December 1, 2007 issue of The Wall Street Journal that it’s easy to identify a bad CEO “once the damage is done”—profits drop, strategies fail, the company comes under the scrutiny of regulators. Leap provides an extensive list of red flags that search committees can use to smell trouble in CEO candidates. The list includes power-hungriness, shameless publicity seeking and a unilateral approach to management. The warning signs Leap offers easily apply to CIOs. I want to ask all IT professionals who work for CIOs—from user support specialists all the way up to the CIOs’ chiefs of staff—how you determine whether a new CIO is good or a bad. What behaviors or actions demonstrate to you that the new CIO is no good? I came up with a few ideas, but I want you to add to my list: High employee turnover. Rehashing the same ideas, projects and technologies that s/he’s implemented in all previous CIO positions.Firing existing employees and replacing them with people who’ve worked for him/her in the past. I’d also like executive recruiters and executives on search committees in charge of hiring CIOs to weigh in: When you’re screening candidates for a CIO job, how do you know when you’ve got a bad CIO on your hands?Update 2/22/08: I finished my feature story based on this blog entry about bad CIOs. You can find it here. I hope you find it entertaning *and* useful. Thanks to everyone who left comments on this blog entry. We sparked a heated, energetic debate, and I was glad to see two individuals who thought they had different views on the topic come to consensus. Let the discussion continue!Update 2/28/08: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CIO John Halamka offers his perspective on what makes a bad CIO on his blog, GeekDoctor. Related content Feature New US CIO appointments, March 2023 Congratulations to these 'movers and shakers' recently hired or promoted into a new chief information officer role. By Martha Heller Mar 08, 2023 22 mins CIO Careers IT Leadership Interview From CIO to CEO: XPO’s Mario Harik on leveling up Since joining XPO in 2011 as CIO, Mario Harik has worked alongside founder Brad Jacobs to create a $7.7 billion business that has technology innovation in its DNA. Now he’s running the show, thanks in part to a keen understanding of how IT can By Martha Heller Mar 01, 2023 7 mins CEO CIO IT Leadership Interview Bijoy Sagar on driving digital transformation at Bayer and beyond The chief IT and digital transformation officer discusses the €44 billion ($48 billion) global company’s growth and innovation strategy — and how CIOs can prep their orgs to succeed. By Martha Heller Feb 15, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation IT Leadership Feature United Airlines gives employees the digital tools to make customers happy CIO Jason Birnbaum discusses the chapters of the airline’s customer experience transformation story. By Martha Heller Jan 25, 2023 8 mins Travel and Hospitality Industry Employee Experience Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe