In simplest terms, a CTO must oversee a company’s technology stack and figure out how it can best serve a broader corporate strategy. That means a CTO must be a strategic technical leader, a diplomatic partner to other senior leaders, and a delivery champion.
Staying up-to-date on industry trends and emerging technologies enables CTOs to devise roadmaps that create competitive advantages for their organization. Diplomacy and the ability to create effective partnerships with other C-suite executives and department heads ensures CTOs are aligned with the company's overall business goals and appetite for innovation.
Let’s break down the skills you need to become a CTO, along with potential career paths that lead to this role!
What skills does a CTO need?
Those who ascend to the CTO role will need keenly developed skills such as:
Conceptual Mastery of IT infrastructure and security: A CTO needs to understand how their tech stack works, from hardware and software down to network infrastructure. While they might not need to implement and maintain that infrastructure themselves, they need to understand what their staff is doing to build out a stack that’s secure and reliable.
Staying aware of the industry: As anyone who’s played around with generative A.I. knows, the tech industry is constantly evolving. CTOs need to be aware of this evolution and how it could impact their company’s tech stack and its overarching strategy.
Communication: CTOs must communicate effectively with everyone from junior developers all the way up to other members of the C-suite. Moreover, they must take hideously complex topics (such as cybersecurity and A.I.) and explain them in a way that makes instant sense to those who aren’t technically inclined, in order to secure buy-in.
Leadership: At its core, a CTO job is about leading. By the time they take a CTO seat, a tech professional must have mastered the arts of delegating, giving feedback, and setting goals and standards for a team.
Problem-solving: Every day, a CTO is confronted with new challenges. Navigating through all those challenges, especially amidst budget and time constraints, is absolutely crucial.
Business Sense: The CTO role involves both business and tech. A good CTO understands the organization’s strategic needs and how technology can play a crucial role in achieving those. They must also have a good idea of how to balance a budget, invest in new technologies, and more.
In addition to all of that, CTOs must grasp how various programming languages and technologies work. These needs will necessarily vary from company to company; for example, a web-development firm will mean a CTO must have a solid grip on the principles of full-stack web development.
What does a CTO need to know about building systems?
Vikhyat Chaudhry, co-founder, CTO and COO of Buzz Solutions, says understanding how to design and implement scalable, secure, and efficient systems is essential. “CTOs should be capable of making architectural decisions that support the long-term goals of the organization,” he explains. “Effective CTOs should be able to build and lead high-performing technology teams. This includes recruiting, mentoring, and providing clear direction.”
Chaudhry points out that CTOs often interact with clients, partners and stakeholders, which means strong negotiation and relationship management skills are crucial for successful collaborations.
“A CTO with strong technical and strategic skills can identify opportunities for innovation, whether through new products, processes, or business models,” he adds. “By staying ahead of industry trends, CTOs can help the organization gain a competitive edge through the adoption of new technologies.”
Chris Van Hoy, director of the Dallas market for LaSalle Network, says that, ultimately, the success of a CTO is defined by their ability to deliver outcomes, not innovation for innovation's sake. “With innovation comes inherent risk,” he says. “Great CTOs understand this and lead by example—they invest in pilots and proof-of-concepts, create a safe space where failure is promoted as a learning opportunity, and recognize and reward creativity and experimentation within their organizations.”
CTOs must understand cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is now a top concern for CTOs, and close partnerships with CISOs are critical. “While CISOs are typically responsibile for securing all digital fronts and assets, CTO concerns are more holistic,” Van Hoy explains.
This includes the establishment of a security-first culture, with employees serving as the first line of defense, along with security governance priorities to ensure resources are allocated to protect the most critical assets, plus risk mitigation associated with the introduction of new technologies.
Serving as an effective liaison between technical and non-technical teams is critical to the success of a CTO… and successful CTOs are, first and foremost, excellent communicators. “They are clear about their own key objectives and how they align to the organization's goals, often serving as a technical translator for the greater organization,” Van Hoy adds. “They are collaborative and transparent in their decision-making and establish feedback mechanisms so technical and non-technical teams can provide input on new processes and projects.”
By operating in this way, CTOs instill trust in their peers and teams, and can remain in lockstep with other executive leaders.
All CTOs must understand ‘business logic’
As a CTO of an organization, it is important to understand business logic and operations as well as customer and industry challenges to develop a technological solution. “Oftentimes a CTO should be able to explain complex engineering and technical concepts in ways that can be understood by the general public,” Chaudhry says. “This helps in bridging the gap between technology and business.”
Maxim Maximov, CTO at Focal Point, emphasizes that CTOs should be aware of the latest technologies and have a certain level of experience with them: “With respect to leadership, management skills, goal-oriented attitudes and relationship-building techniques focused on providing technological help to all members of an organization is essential.”
Working on the border of technology and management, a CTO should become a guide for companies to navigate through all technological complexities as well as risks and challenges. “Being aware of the latest solutions enables CTOs to consider which are truly useful for their company and then implement that solution,” Maximov says.
Like every individual who aims to stay up-to-date with the news cycle, CTOs should read tech news, attend webinars and conferences, and leverage a network with similar interests and goals.
Meghna Shah, PwC Partner, points out that CTOs are now spending most of their time on efforts that directly impact the performance of the business. In fact, 57 percent of CIOs say they actively work with the business to define its strategy, according to PwC’s latest Pulse Survey.
“They see their mandate as extending beyond IT, with a role that is split among three focus areas," Shah says. “This includes empowering workforces with the technology skills needed to meet shifting corporate agendas.”
For example, as A.I. capabilities emerge as a major demand and value driver for businesses, it's up to CTOs to upskill their workforce and ensure employees have the tools and resources to fully take advantage of the emerging technology.
Shah points out that 41 percent of CTOs said that data analytics and A.I. skills are the most important skills to develop in the next year.
CTOs must never stop learning
Van Hoy agrees that CTOs must stay current on industry and emerging technology trends by maintaining a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning: “They should participate in industry forums and conferences, read relevant books, blogs, and research papers, and leverage their network of peers and mentors to make informed decisions.”
Chaudhry says there are several ways CTOs can be engaged in evolving technologies to stay ahead of the curve, among the most important of which is establishing a strong network of industry peers, mentors, and advisors.
“Regular discussions with these connections can provide valuable insights into emerging technologies and industry trends,” he explains. “Collaboration with academic institutions and research organizations can help you gain insights into cutting-edge developments.”
He also recommends engaging with advisory boards or hiring consultants with expertise in specific technology domains: “They can provide strategic guidance and insights into emerging trends.”
