Problems surround the CIO. Solving for the wrong problem wastes time, energy and money. Five shifts help the CIO determine real problems from presenting issues.

Stakeholders know the value of the CIO. The last thing they want is for their CIO to be led down a wrong path, distracted by the agenda of others, and misdirected by trends that lure them into waste.

Before telling the truth to others, tell it to yourself. An exercise in introspection will go a long way to turning hard-conversations into effective, watershed moments of change.

Transformation is not an overused word. If anything, it is underused. Leaders embrace it and keep it in front of everyone.

Data is the driver. Avoid these five pitfalls in order to stay on course: Style over substance, futile fighting, willful ignorance, chasing aberrations and lazy thinking.

Though small to mid-market companies often cannot afford the full-time services of a CIO, they are still faced with the responsibilities a CIO normally fulfills.