Needless to say, the IT teams came back with an appropriately integrated proposal the fortnight later. As CEO, Dimon inherently brought a broader perspective to the enterprise impact of a systems integration than the typical CIO.

However, Dimon also did something more CIOs need to do: He insisted that people in the best position to make the right recommendation actually agree. He made his IT people accountable for a single recommendation. He made the consequences of their failure to agree crystal clear. Yes. I've read the leadership literature celebrating "transformation" and "inspiration" but, frankly, the most inspirational and transformational leadership behaviour the majority of CIOs could display would be to insist that their people behave as professionals. Accountability would have greater operational meaning if more C-level executives emulated Dimon's example.

The essential principle about the link between IT leadership and IT management must be clear: If the right constituents aren't present when priorities are set and choices are made, then IT is neither leading nor managing. A CIO whose team unilaterally imposes consolidations or apps on a business process the members don't quite understand should hardly be surprised when "shadow apps" begin sprouting like weeds. Indeed, they should be surprised if "grey market" disintermediation doesn't take place. IT leadership in the new millennium of software as a service means CIOs need to ask the right questions well before they start proposing the right answers.

Let me expand that: CIOs need to make sure their people ask the right questions of others before they start proffering — and imposing — the right answers.