CTO Power

Those who aspire to strategic leadership as Chief Technology Officers must look beyond their roots in technology and develop their careers in light of the realities of how decisions are made in top management teams. Research on upper-echelon leadership suggests that CTOs who aspire to significant strategic influence should build their power bases on general business savvy, strong personal relationships in networks inside and outside the firm and, in some cases, on their ownership position in the firm. Research showing that executive decision-making is often informal, based on personal relationships and frequently involving people from outside the firm, suggests that these bases can be more important than the traditional cornerstones of a CTO's power: technological expertise and organizational position power. The leadership style of the CEO can also significantly enhance or detract from a CTO's ability to influence firm strategy.