Much depends on the maturity of the organization and its view of IT. "If IT is still seen as a cost center and reports to finance on every matter then you need to work on earning credibility and trust," said Locandro. "Start with getting the basics right -- fix unreliable e-mail, network issues or other pain points."

He added that if IT leaders find that users are regularly complaining about IT services then it's impossible to gain any trust to focus on anything strategic. With credibility and trust in place, IT leaders can then be looked upon to give advice on business issues and sit in an executive leadership discussion as an equal.

But even with a strong IT capability and a leadership track record, IT leaders must earn that respect over time. "CIOs cannot just walk into an organization and receive that level of trust, even the best CIOs must deliver some major contribution to earn that trust," Locandro noted.