A career spent in IT feels like a constant bout of Whac-a-mole. But here, again, is one key recurring "mole" that I find especially irritating: the proliferation, against all logic, of articles and tweets about the demise of IT, the death of the CIO, and how technology is now so easy, so omnipresent, that experts are no longer required. A new avatar is born: The Chief Digital Officer... 

Yes, it's déjà vu: certain topics crop up again and again on IT-related blogs. The age-old question: does a CIO really need to have Information Technology experience? This topic has been dealt with by many people in bits and pieces, touched upon here and there, but it's time for a full column covering the standard arguments posed in this debate. 

Both of them managed successful comebacks because of their focus on their goals. They bounced back from defeat, displaying a resilience that distinguishes true winners from the also-rans. I find their passion, commitment and enthusiasm unparalleled. Both had the courage to follow their heart against all odds and became examples of hope, self-belief and motivation. They are the inspiration of millions, including me. 

A leader must be comfortable in providing constructive feedback to the team as well as individual team members. Appropriate feedback helps to resolve conflicts and builds trust amongst team members. Good leaders are looked up to because people trust and respect them as individuals, rather than for the skills they possess. Leadership is about behavior first, and skills second. 

Many a times, I have seen that people are averse to trying new things because of the fear of failure. Failure should not hold us back. This is what I tell my team. If an implementation must fail, it must fail quickly. That is far better than not trying it out at all. If you want to make mistakes, do it quickly and wind it up!  

A competency-based framework is necessary for better management and optimization of IT team. We have to re-imagine the future of IT, redefine the job roles and create competencies required for such roles. The training and development should be restructured to enable IT competencies for better alignment of people with roles for greater value realization. Here are a few competencies that are a must for CIOs. 

In less than a month, this is my second out-of-turn blog post. Today, I am proud to write yet another post about a great friend who has broken the national barriers and has decided to go global. Join me in congratulating Amrita Gangotra (formerly Director of IT & CIO Bharti Airtel South Asia) who decided to take up a global role with Vodafone in the UK.  

A CIO's actions and conduct should speak more than words and that's where the real building blocks of CIO branding take shape. A CIO has to deliver that extra bit and also ensure this delivery is consistent, not temporary; certainly not limited to technology related areas but extends into areas that directly impact business. 

Many CIOs still have to rise up in stature to occupy a position of significance in their organizations, have the privilege of being at the 'C' level or be members of the board. There are exceptions, of course, but others may have a major task at hand to shore up their fortunes. The question is: Whether the technology head has just inherited the position of the CIO or has he earned it? 

Businesses in every industry need to take risks if they want to innovate, and there is always a chance for failure. With risk come uncertainty and the burden of costs. These factors are not in sync with business as usual where organizations have to streamline their operations, create predictable results and reduce unnecessary expenses. Do these factors limit the scope for a CIO to innovate?