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In today’s climate, where every company is a technology company, there is a simple truth many still overlook: CIOs and CISOs can no longer afford to see themselves primarily as technologists or risk gatekeepers. The mandate is clear: They must be business leaders first, using technology and cybersecurity expertise as powerful tools to drive growth, trust, and competitive advantage.
This shift is real and necessary, and underpins long-term survival while strengthening enterprise value. Companies that thrive in a digital economy do so because their technology and risk leaders do more than keep the lights on or lock the doors. They drive innovation, shape customer experiences, protect brand reputation, and open new revenue streams, all by grounding their decisions in clear business outcomes.
The stakes have never been higher
Digital transformation, advanced threats, regulatory pressure, and rising customer expectations have put CIOs and CISOs under a brighter spotlight than ever. Boards are asking tougher questions. Investors want to see clear returns on digital spending and strong oversight of cyber risks. Customers now judge brands not just on products or price, but on the trustworthiness of their digital experiences. They also have more influence over price, brand perception, and expectations than ever before.
If a cyber incident strikes, the damage goes far beyond IT costs. It can harm brand equity, market valuation, and customer loyalty. Likewise, if a company moves too slowly to modernize, competitors with leaner digital foundations step in and raise the bar for everyone else.
In this environment, technology and security leaders must rise above functional excellence. Running reliable systems or adopting the latest frameworks is no longer enough. They need to stand with CEOs, CFOs, and CROs to make decisions that directly shape growth, profitability, and strategic risk.
From functional operator to strategic peer
Moving from being seen, and seeing themselves, as service providers to becoming integral members of the business leadership team is the key evolution CIOs and CISOs need to make. That means:
- Outcomes over operations.
The best CIOs and CISOs do not lead with technology metrics or compliance checklists. They start with business imperatives, asking how to increase revenue, reduce costs, open new markets, or build customer trust, and make sure every decision in technology or security supports those goals. - Business fluency over technical fluency in the boardroom.
While their deep technical knowledge is essential, the most effective leaders translate that complexity into clear business choices. They explain how zero trust architecture serves as both a security best practice and a way to protect customer data while speeding partner onboarding. They demonstrate that secure cloud transformation goes beyond cutting infrastructure costs, driving faster delivery and greater resilience. - Enterprise influence over department control.
Digital business is inherently cross-functional. Great CIOs and CISOs build coalitions across marketing, sales, operations, HR, and finance. They help shape a culture where security and digital adoption are shared responsibilities, not just IT’s problem.
Lessons from the field
I have seen this throughout my career. As CIO of a smart home IoT company, we developed a surge protector that could be managed remotely, monitored for voltage, and controlled down to each outlet. It created new opportunities with managed service providers eager to deploy them in clinics and doctors’ offices. Before going to market, I pushed to hire an outside cyber team to try to break into our devices at the firmware level. The CFO questioned the expense, but I believed protecting patient trust and clinical environments was vital to our long-term success.
That work paid off. We hardened our devices and were able to show clients exactly how we protected their data and operations. It became a marketing advantage that helped us secure millions in sales. That is what it looks like to lead as a business executive first, balancing risk, reputation, and growth in ways that create lasting value.
In another case, I helped create a business-focused demand shaping process to vet new technology investments. Instead of weighing only technical fit or who shouted loudest, we brought the executive team together to look at how proposals advanced strategic goals and served customers. They liked it so much they asked us to apply it to every in-flight project. When we did, we found several efforts that were not delivering meaningful value. We stopped or adjusted them, freeing up resources for more important work. Other departments began applying the same approach to their own projects.
That is when you know you are not just running IT. You are helping the whole organization think and act differently.
A leadership mindset: Run it like you own it
This all comes back to mindset. The most valuable technology and security leaders I have worked with, myself included, approach their roles like owners. They do not push for projects just because the tech is modern or it checks a compliance box. They look at every investment, architecture choice, and new vendor and ask, if this was my money, my brand, my customers, would I do it this way?
That kind of thinking earns trust. It leads to better conversations with peers across the business. It also changes how organizations weigh risk and opportunity, seeing them as two sides of the same strategic choice.
Questions every tech leader should be ready to answer
For CIOs and CISOs who want to lead as business executives first, here are four straightforward questions to guide decisions and discussions:
- How does this initiative drive growth, reduce costs, or build resilience in ways we can measure?
- What customer, market, or reputational risks does it address?
- How will this make us faster, safer, or more trusted than our competitors?
- If these were your personal dollars and your brand, would you still invest?
When you can answer these clearly, and help your peers do the same, you are no longer just running IT or managing security. You are leading the business.
If you want to explore this leadership mindset in more depth, including how modern CISOs are balancing risk, trust, and growth, read our report, The Modern CISO: Bringing Balance.
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