CIOs are stepping further into a new era of influence. Deloitte’s recent CIO Program research shows that CIOs are closer to the CEO than ever before, with 65% reporting directly to the top of the organization and 67% aspiring to become CEOs themselves. This shift highlights that technology has become inseparable from business strategy and executives are increasingly treating the CIO as a core enterprise leader, not just the steward of IT.
However, this elevated role comes with heightened expectations: CIOs must justify every investment, accelerate transformation, support AI readiness, and drive measurable business outcomes. Balancing these demands while managing cost pressures is no small feat.
Looking ahead, a CIO’s influence will hinge on the ability to connect technology performance to broader business outcomes in a way that resonates across the organization.
The Hidden Ceiling on CIO Influence
Many CIOs still measure their performance through traditional IT metrics, such as system uptime, ticket resolution, and device health. While these numbers are important, they rarely capture the full picture of value from a leadership perspective as they don’t show how technology drives broader business impact or supports organizational goals.
Executives think in terms of:
- ROI and revenue impact
- Business performance
- Customer satisfaction and retention
IT, on the other hand, still too often report in terms of:
- System performance
- Ticket resolution and support metrics
- Device health
Of course, each measurement perspective matters, but the real opportunity lies in finding ways to connect both to communicate this back to the C-Suite. Without this connection, even high-performing CIOs risk their contributions being undervalued.
Speaking the Language of the C-Suite
Even as CIOs rise in influence, executive perception of IT remains mixed, with around 50% of tech organizations perceived as revenue-generating units and the remainder viewed mainly as service centers.
A recent Lenovo survey underscores this gap: 61% of CIOs report struggling to prove the value of their technology investments – a challenge that is particularly evident with AI-driven projects, where measurable outcomes often take longer to materialize. Even when IT teams deliver transformative work, early-stage impact can go unseen when traditional metrics don’t fully capture business outcomes.
This is where DEX data provides the metrics many CIOs are missing. By combining technical performance with experience-level data through DEX Scores, adoption metrics, usage insights, and employee sentiment – CIOs can translate IT success into outcomes executives understand. This data demonstrates:
- Measurable productivity gains
- Operational cost reductions
- Higher employee satisfaction
- Increased adoption
- Stronger customer experiences
The connection between employee experience and business outcomes is increasingly clear: 55% of executives recognize that delivering a great customer experience is impossible without first providing a great employee experience, yet nearly half of leaders still haven’t fully realized this link. Experience data lets CIOs connect the dots, showing how happier, more productive employees create better customer outcomes.
The Shared Leadership Imperative
For decades, CEOs have been measured by business growth and shareholder returns, and we don’t expect that to change. What has changed, however, is how those outcomes are achieved: technology is now central to driving growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
This is where the CIO’s role becomes strategic rather than operational and DEX fills the critical gap between IT delivery and executive expectations. By linking technology investments to employee productivity, adoption, and ultimately business outcomes, CIOs can clearly demonstrate they don’t just manage IT but have the vision and influence to lead like a CEO.