So just exactly what does it take to be a successful CIO? 

I think that  we can all agree that one of the key traits that the person in the CIO  position needs to have is the self-confidence to deal with issues related to the importance of information  technology. If we don’t believe in ourselves, then who will?  Self-confidence is how we make decisive decisions and support and  challenge the members of our team. However, if we have too much  self-confidence, then it can turn into overconfidence.  When we are overconfident then the person with the CIO job can become  arrogant and alienate the members of our team. How can we tell if we  have too much of a good thing? 

Simple – by answering some important questions.