In my humble and somewhat biased opinion, one of the most rewarding positions is that of a CIO (Chief Information Officer). I say this based on their potential to influence positive transformation, change and growth within organizations. CIOs are uniquely positioned and have exposure and partnership opportunities with all business areas (finance, legal, marketing, operations…you name it, technology is involved in some way) which should be strategically leveraged for the benefit of the entire organization.
Having said that, technology leaders need to have a blend of abilities at their disposal in order to successfully navigate through organizational currents. They must have leadership skills; they must know how to effectively manage; the need vision and the ability to motivate and inspire others within IT (and at times beyond IT); they must be diplomatic and strategic…they must be valuable. This is no small task for most and as such it is not easy to be an effective and influential CIO, no matter what some might think. Becoming one generally requires years of positive outcomes and a track record that one can build upon.
Like I said, there are very few positions that could be even more rewarding, one of those is certainly that of a CEO (Chief Executive Officer), but that is a story for another time. 😉