How can today’s CIOs make the biggest impact on behalf of their entire organizations? To answer that question, we listened to 158 CIOs from midsize companies around the world to define The New Voice of the CIO.

We found that successful CIOs are united in their focus on three primary goals: to make innovation real, raise the ROI of IT and expand business impact.

Today’s CIO agenda is shaped by a powerful set of internal and external forces. While budgets and people skills are of slightly less concern for midsize firms, 55% see changing business models as their top challenge. We also found that the midmarket CIO is clearly at the center of the action – championing innovation, using technology as a competitive differentiator and positioning IT to co-create and drive innovative ideas.

When asked about their most critical IT priorities, CIOs cite business intelligence and analytics. More than 4 out of 5 CIOs are focused on more effective use of information to enhance competitiveness. Business insight is followed by virtualization and risk management as top priorities. Business process management is cited by 56% as a priority, showing the growing importance of aligning IT with business operations.

CIOs at successful midsize companies know that it’s not about how big you are, it's really about how smart you are. They understand the vital role technology plays in business model change, and often are the driving force behind making change happen in their organizations.

I encourage you to read the full study, and welcome your views on what it reveals about today’s CIO.