A chief technology officer (CTO) is the executive responsible for defining an organization’s technology strategy and leading its technology teams. The position is similar to that of a CIO (chief information officer), but CTOs are particularly focused on exploring new and existing technologies that are of strategic importance to the organization.
Despite the title, the role of a CTO requires considerably more than technical expertise. The CTOs I spoke with said that soft skills are just as important to their ability to lead. Here are nine critical attributes of a successful CTO, according to technology leaders who hold that role in their organization.
