The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World

Get Yourself a Business Mentor and a Coach

Everyone needs and deserves a business mentor. A business mentor is usually someone else in your organization. Usually a mentor is a peer or someone at a higher level than you. If you are the CIO, your business mentor can be the CEO or another senior executive.

Basically the role of your business mentor is to answer questions that you have about the business. The questions can range from basic (“What's a basis point, anyhow?”) to complex (“How does the company book revenue from sales made by foreign subsidiaries?”).

Business mentors can also help you avoid nasty political landmines and steer clear of time-wasting intramural feuds. Most of all, a business mentor can offer real-time situational advice that no outside expert can provide.

If you can't find an appropriate mentor within your organization, ask someone you respect to serve in the role.

Some of the smartest executives I know sought out personal coaches to tutor them as they transitioned through the multiple stages of their careers. I believe that hiring a coach is one of the savviest career decisions you can make.

A coach can help you acquire and sharpen the crucial executive skills you need to succeed at the C-level. While it's true that some fortunate individuals are born with the talents required to function at the highest corporate levels, the sad truth is that most of us have to learn them.

How do you find an executive coach? Ask your friends. Ask the head of HR. Ask your ...