How to Become CEO of a Company? CIOs another C-level position is CEO.

If a CIO really has to want the CEO spot. It is the tallest mountain to climb, but the top of Mount Everest will not be reached without an extraordinary dose of determination. Truth be told, many CIOs simply aren't interested. Business managers are used to the idea of hierarchies and wanting to reach the top. Technicians usually have other goals and achievements that are often not as focused on titles or hierarchies.

What happens when CIO skills no longer match up well with organizational goals? Some CIOs use their good relationships and a strong IT team to handle changing organizational needs. Others can't satisfy the new needs and end up being asked to leave, while others get bored and decide to leave on their own.

CIOs who move to another C-level position at the same company, possibly the CEO. Though this hasn't been a common career path, it seems quite doable for CIOs who aren't just viewed as technologists, but as executives who use technology to achieve business goals. That's the rub, of course. Some folks, including many CIOs themselves, don't see CIOs as executives who perform key strategic functions.

CIOs share many of the same attributes as their CEO brethren. CIOs have the same smarts and management chops as CEOs. Drive and personal desire for the CEO role are the biggest requirements for CIOs who want to become CEOs, according to 59 percent of CIOs and CEOs surveyed for the research. Other factors mentioned included change-management skills, relevant work experience and mentors who offer good career advice.

CIOs who aren't adept at running IT won't find themselves in the running for a CEO job. But that on its own won't be enough. Executives who have successfully made the switch have also demonstrated a willingness to tackle challenging projects.

It's also important for CIOs who want to become CEOs to look for likely successors in the IT

department and groom them for the CIO role. Strong communications skills, especially an ability to discuss technology in business terms, are essential for CIOs who aspire to become a CEO.