3 Most Often Overlooked Leadership Positions in Today’s Companies

There is probably only one thing that needs to be said about the topic of today’s discussion.

To put it briefly, it could be said that each of these positions has existed since the corporate structure was designed and universally accepted. Having said that, let’s look at the three most often overlooked positions within today’s companies.

1. Chief Technical Officer

As time goes on, the greatest obstacles that must be overcome by individuals and companies alike are the cyber threats we are exposed to in the 21^st century. Unfortunately, it is predicted that the world will see exponential growth in cyber crime by the year 2030, so a Chief Technical Officer should take the initiative to get the necessary training, such as a certification in Technical Leadership. This would prepare that person to step into a leadership position with all the tools necessary to fend off cyber attacks now and in the future as new technology advances.

2. Chief Digital Transformation Officer

The Chief Digital Transformation Officer would be responsible for transforming a company’s technology into an environment with greatly reduced exposure to cyber threats. Although this ‘could’ be a separate position altogether from the Chief Technical Officer, it is a certification that is a necessary component of what a CTO does. A Chief Digital Transformation Officer is also responsible for streamlining processes and procedures to maximize a company’s growth and bottom line. It should be said here that effective cyber security can, and does, increase profitability.

3. Chief Empowerment Officer

This is a title that rarely lends itself well to the designation of “CEO” because those letters are most often associated with the Chief Executive Officer of a company. The name and its subsequent abbreviation, notwithstanding, aren’t as important as the duties which a Chief Empowerment Officer takes on. As the title would imply, a Chief Empowerment Officer has and shares the tools necessary to excel in one’s position at any level within a corporate structure. As one of the alternate titles often given to a company’s CIO, it is obvious that the dominant tools and processes fall within the realm of digital technology. Is it any wonder that the leader in charge of empowering employees is steeped in technology?

We are, after all, living in a digital world in which there is no area of business principles and practices that aren’t directly related to, and affected by, technology. The Chief Empowerment Officer, then, is the leader who assesses what technology is necessary for every position within a company and to ensure that each employee has the tools necessary to excel in their job along with proficiency in using those digital tools. It’s all about empowering and fostering growth in individuals, teams, and companies.

A New Way of Looking at Older Leadership Positions

As you can see by this point, there is probably already someone within a company’s structure who is responsible for gathering and disseminating information, transforming processes, and structural organization, along with someone who is tasked with empowering growth within individuals, teams, and the corporate structure itself. The only real difference is that we are living and operating in a digital environment so the person named in each of those positions must now have a solid grasp of Information Technology, and as such, would be the ultimate leader commonly seen as the CIO, Chief Information Officer.