Each generation reflects a major shift in the worldwide IT market, with the latest being the consumerization of IT. CIOs and their teams need to know the end game to be the most valued and influential leaders in the Boardroom and around the business. This article summarizes the four generations of corporate strategy for IT, and the ultimate destiny of IT leadership. 

IT plays a critical role in market expansion, especially in businesses that operate in the online space. There are some organizations that do a great job of leveraging the online space as well as the traditional channels. In Vodafone India, we have increased our percentage share of online revenue by four times in last two years. We have been working a lot to leverage the online channel.  

A defensive posture no longer suffices for the protection of the devices and data. Rather than simply rushing to install defenses on computers, in networks, and in the cloud, we urgently need to step back and take a broader view of the security landscape, in order to take more calculated preemptive measures. 

The role of the CIO has evolved tremendously over the years. Today, I have to also think like a CFO, an HR Head and the CEO several times during the day. I have to change my shoes with their shoes a dozen times and feel how it feels to be in their roles. Unless I do that, I am not in a position to take a top down view of the way the company is moving. 

Convergence has to be looked at from a wider perspective within the organization. It's not merely a unified mail and messaging platform, not only providing single interface for all online-offline media management. Rather, it is a scalable, single server based, interface agnostic mechanism to handle CRM and other critical functions of the organization, thus creating a space in the higher value chain. 

At a conference I attended, one of the speakers observed that venture capitalists (VCs) are rejecting any and all business plans that include capital spending for IT. Their rationale is all about focus and flexibility. "Pay as you go" IT (enabled through cloud services such as software-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and infrastructure-as-a-service) free management to focus on the product, not the plumbing.... 

I enjoy following the tech news that emanates from Las Vegas during the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) each year. It's a good way to stay on top of technology innovation, most of which is happening in the consumer space these days, and a fun way to research future tech purchases, or decide if there's something worth waiting for in the next 6-12 months. 

Unless, there is an increase in the use of Hospital Information System, Electronic Medical Record (EMR) will only remain a dream. When I joined Medanta Medicity, it was in the project stage. We chose a staggered approach of building the IT infrastructure of the hospital. Then we put a strategy around to help doctors use IT.  

Innovation should have a direct impact either on customer ease, revenue generation or process enhancement. It should have tangible benefits attached to it, rather than qualitative. Innovation does not necessarily mean something that has not been done before. It could be the same thing done differently. 

While leading a business change, CIOs should be aware of the politics of change as well. Most often, lack of understanding of this could end a CIO's career in the organization. Without a strong business sponsor, business change may be very risky, and this has to be factored in. In my humble opinion, CIOs may be more successful if they make business leaders win through successful change management.