Let’s get something straight: Gen-Y wants to work with you, not for you. Yes, its members have short attention spans, their attention to detail is poor, and they expect instant access to any level of the organisation. But they also have abundant energy, they are IT savvy, and they want to work for organisations that are ethical. One final thing: they are ambitious.

Outstanding CIOs most resemble outstanding CEOs. That was the eye-opening benchmark established when the CIO Executive Council, as part of its Future-State CIO initiative, teamed up with Egon Zehnder International (EZI) two years ago to build a leadership competency assessment for CIOs and senior IT leaders.

As you assumed the role of CIO, your workdays became more business-focused. You've probably spent more time in meetings with business execs talking budgets and strategy than with technologists talking Ruby on Rails. As a result, your core tech skills--the ones you cultivated and mastered early in your career--are getting rusty. Revisiting those skills is exceedingly important, though, and can help you build stronger relationships within your department.