Skills Needed to Become a Successful CTO

Successful CIOs, CTOs and executives from Forbes Technology Council offer first hand insights on skills you need to be a successful CTO in an article with Forbes.

Becoming a CTO or chief technology officer is a dream come true for many tech professionals. Overseeing the innovation and development of products is certainly exciting, and it’s easy to see why it’s such a coveted position. Scott Stiner, UM Technologies quotes “The main requirement of a chief technology officer is the communication of new technology to every department within a company. Technology changes daily, and constant learning is a must for CTOs and company success. My CTO role for Taylor CC requires knowledge of the latest in energy solutions and the ability to spread that knowledge across the company. Make learning all that’s new in your tech sector part of your daily routine.”

Paul Heller believes that being open to the fact that others may know more than we do or may offer a significant alternative and helpful perspective. When engaging in discussion about technology, do not rush to put a view forward. Practice tact when engaging with those who have opposing opinions. Understand where others are coming from and never take an “I’m right, you’re wrong” attitude. It’s a great way to learn.

One of the most important functions of CTO is to set product and technical vision. A great chief technology officer can set the direction for an engineering organization for years of execution to accomplish the vision. To do that, the chief technology officer needs to be able to tell an effective story of the vision. A great chief technology officer should set a vision in a way that people may not understand at the beginning but will realize in a year or so. – Eddie Ma, Uber.com

CTOs are in the unenviable position of managing technology to fulfil business goals while maintaining security and privacy standards. These roles often come into conflict. CTOs should push back against actions that degrade security in the name of expediency. Many catastrophic data leaks happen because easily avoided security mistakes are overlooked, and the buck should stop with the CTO. – Vik Patel, Nexcess

The article concludes by mentioning that a chief technology officer role can be challenging yet fun if you can be focused and keep moving forward.