It’s a common and frustrating scenario many organizations experience: someone is managing IT who’s technically skilled but lacks the strategic mindset needed to truly support business growth. Maybe it’s a hands-on tech wiz, a reliable fixer or someone who is good with systems, but when it comes to aligning IT with your business objectives, they fall short. It’s a common pitfall, and sometimes, the role even falls to someone outside of IT together.
Let’s take a closer look at what happens when the wrong person is in the IT leader’s seat – and who should be there instead.
Read: Frustrating IT: Your Business Strategy and IT Aren’t on the Same Page
When a CFO or controller steps in to manage IT, it’s usually because they’re good at managing budgets and have a keen eye for spreadsheets. But financial leaders tend to approach IT through a cost-control lens, viewing it as an expense rather than a strategic investment. That means IT becomes reactive instead of proactive, often underfunded and heavily focused on short-term savings rather than long-term enablement.
The risks? Missed innovation opportunities that could have propelled your business forward, a vulnerable cybersecurity posture, limited scalability and underwhelming user experiences. IT becomes a line item to manage down, not a strategic driver of efficiency or growth.
Operations leaders know the business in and out like no other – they know what the company needs to function smoothly. Although they understand workflow pain points, their deep knowledge of operations usually lacks the technical expertise to implement sustainable, secure and scalable technology solutions.
This can lead to tools that don’t integrate well, shadow IT and quick fixes that later become long-term headaches, all of which result in friction between departments and IT systems that can’t support future growth.
In smaller or rapidly growing companies, it’s not uncommon for a C-level executive – a CEO or COO – to wear the IT hat. They recognize its importance, but their primary responsibilities and limited time make this an unsustainable and risky arrangement; without dedicated focus, IT initiatives lack movement, accountability and direction.
This ends in a strategic downfall. Even if food ideas emerge, they are rarely executed well. Projects stall, cybersecurity is overlooked and technology investments don’t deliver ROI. Worse yet, critical issues may go unnoticed until it’s too late, resulting in costly downtime.
The ideal IT leader is both strategic and technically fluent. They understand how to leverage technology strategically to move the business forward rather than simply maintain the current state. That role is perfect for a fractional CIO.
A fractional CIO brings executive-level insight without the cost of a full-time hire. They align IT initiatives with your overall business goals, proactively manage risks and build an IT roadmap for long-term success. They also identify and leverage new technology, optimize IT spending and bridge the gap between your technical team and business goals. With one in your corner, IT can become a powerful growth engine instead of a bottleneck.
Read: 6 Ways a Fractional CIO Can Transform Your IT Strategy
Don’t let frustrating IT hold your company back. If your current IT leadership isn’t strategically aligned with your business objectives, consider a more effective solution like partnering with Thriveon.
Our Fractional CIO will deliver the expertise you need. We focus on your business and its outcomes and develop a custom IT roadmap built for growth. Schedule a meeting now to discover how a Fractional CIO can transform your IT.