Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
A transformational leader is characterized by the ability to inspire change, encourage innovation, and move the organization toward future goals, not just maintain the status quo. For a chief information officer (CIO), becoming a transformational leader requires:
Using technology to drive innovation, not just support operations.
Aligning IT initiatives with business growth, competitive advantage, and strategic transformation.
Championing new digital capabilities, such as automation, data-driven decision-making, and new customer experiences.
Encouraging experimentation and supporting cultural change around technology adoption.
Why the other options are incorrect:
A. By overseeing non-technical business functions – CIOs may partner with non-technical areas, but simply overseeing them does not make leadership transformational. The focus is on how they lead and innovate with technology.
B. By prioritizing operational stability and change – This is mixed and vague. Operational stability is important, but transformational leadership emphasizes bold changes and innovation over just keeping systems running.
C. By focusing on maintaining existing systems – This describes a maintenance-oriented or transactional IT leader, not a transformational one.
Thus, a CIO becomes a transformational leader primarily by driving innovation and business growth through strategic use of technology, making Option D correct.
[Reference:Information Technology Management Study Guide – Digital Leadership, CIO Roles, and Transformational Leadership in IT (WGU ITM Curriculum)., , , ]