Being a good CIO doesn’t have to come at the price of being good to yourself. In fact, these two elements can work together to help CIOs achieve their new year’s resolutions, from managing cyber attacks to finding moments for peace and quiet. Join Gartner analysts Mary Mesaglio, Shanna Grafeld and Brandon Germer as they discuss how CIOs can meet their objectives this year with our research, 2025 CIO New Year’s Resolutions — How to Be Good (Enough).

Episode highlights:

• What is a professional resolution? (1:03)
• Why is being "good enough" important for CIOs? (2:26)
• Resolutions discussed:
  • Leading through movement (4:32)
  • Listening to silence (8:00)
  • Interviewing a hacked person (12:42)
• Why is setting resolutions useful for CIOs? (11:14)
• How can CIOs keep their resolutions throughout the year? (14:38)
• How does setting measurable goals make you unhappy? (17:59)
• What are the podcast guests' favorite resolutions for CIOs? (21:25)

“One of the perennial pieces of advice we give to anyone who's reading the research is: Don't do all the resolutions.” — Mary Mesaglio, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst (3:14 in this podcast)

About the Guests

Mary Mesaglio is a distinguished vice president analyst at Gartner. Her research focuses on how to help global enterprises execute transformations in the real world, with all the human behavioural messiness that real-world change implies. Mary works with enterprises on how to create clear principles, how to scale change messages, how to be rigorous about the behavioural side of transformation and how to make change real.

Shanna Grafeld is a senior principal analyst in Gartner’s global enterprise executive research practice and focuses on leadership and sustainability. Her leadership coverage includes psychological safety, multigenerational and multicultural leadership, conflict and change management. Her sustainability expertise includes setting and communicating sustainability strategy, organizational structures for sustainability and sustainable technology.

Brandon Germer is a senior director analyst in Gartner’s Office of the CIO Research. Brandon advises senior and executive business leaders on strategy, execution, product management and operating models through written research, conferences, workshops and one-to-one interaction.

“Pacing Yourself in the AI Races,” the 2024 IT Symposium/Xpo keynote, provided an inspiring vision for CIOs on delivering AI outcomes safely and at scale. In this episode of CIO Mind podcast, keynote presenters Alicia Mullery, Gartner VP Research, and Daryl Plummer, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, Chief of Research and Gartner Fellow, join host ck Andrade, Gartner Sr. Director Analyst, to deep dive into the keynote’s concepts and identify how to move from inspiration to action. Join them to explore the differences between the AI steady and AI accelerated paces and the bumps in the road and the facilitators as CIOs take first steps in the CIO AI outcomes race. To learn more about the keynote, see Pacing Yourself in the AI Races: 2024 IT Symposium/Xpo Keynote Insights.

Episode Highlights

• The CIO AI outcomes race versus the tech vendor race. (1:20)
• Business, technology and behavioral outcomes for AI. (2:20)
• Choosing your pace: AI steady or AI accelerated? (04:05)
• Challenges to achieving AI outcomes. (8:06)
• Facilitators to achieving AI outcomes. (17:42)
• Next steps for CIOs in the AI outcomes race. (21:11)

Daryl Plummer is a Gartner Fellow, VP, and Distinguished Analyst. His research focuses on the strategic issues of cloud computing, digital disruption, and the unfolding of the future through predictions, trends and evolving digital business cycles. Daryl is a Chief of Research in the technology and service providers organization, where he helps oversee research across the four roles of general manager, product managers,product marketers, and tech CEOs.

Alicia Mullery is a Gartner Vice President, Research, supporting CIOs and other senior executives. Alicia’s research collaboration works to distill practical lessons from company accomplishments and missteps. She works to identify, build and then present best practice case studies that inspire executive action and decision making. Her recent areas of focus include the shift from projects to products, building fusion teams and safely democratizing digital delivery, transforming IT talent, building effective CIO/CxO partnerships, and increasing the number of women in IT leadership.

Episode highlights:

• Overview of Gartner’s 2025 Top Strategic Technology Trends (01:26)
• Why CIOs need the top strategic technology trends (02:46)
• Hybrid computing – The “Good” (05:05)
• Disinformation security – The “Bad” (07:55)
• Neurological enhancement – The “Wow!” (11:45)
• Use top strategic technology trends as early signals (15:00)
• What CIOs are saying about the 2025 trends (16:51)
• Pros and cons of the selected trends (17:59)
• Actions CIOs can take today to prepare for their technology futures (19:04)

About the Guest:

Gene Alvarez is a Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, who helps clients with technology innovation and strategy topics such as CRM, Customer Experience, Composable Applications, Modernization, Digital Commerce Technologies, and trends and disruptions. He is the key initiative leader for Gartner's Technology Innovation and Strategy research agenda. Mr. Alvarez leads Gartner's Top Strategic Technology Trends research and is a member of Gartner's Top Strategic Predictions Team. Mr. Alvarez has over 40 years of business and IT experience leading business impact assessments, vendor management, project management, software development and delivery of complex business applications. He has spoken at many international events and industry-related conferences worldwide and has been published in various media and trade publications.