Glaser says he gets along well with the COO, adding that the relationship hasn't changed much in the past several years. "Over the first couple of years, a relationship is going to mature about roles and responsibilities. That stuff is going to sort itself out, much like it does with a spouse," says Glaser. "The core of the relationship is formed early, so from years three to 10, not a lot of evolution takes place."

Like Glaser, Katherine Busser applies listening skills she developed as a parent to the way she deals with senior executives. "I listen closely to what my children are saying and not saying," says Busser, divisional CIO for the U.S. card division at Capital One Financial Corp. in McLean, Va. She tries to apply the same listening skills to senior management to understand the kinds of challenges that they're trying to tackle.

Right now, that includes helping Capital One's U.S. card business grow and remain profitable. "[The IT] organization isn't bound to offering tech solutions," says Busser. For instance, one week in September, she spent time answering calls from customers "to make sure I understood their relationships with Capital One and how we can help them."

Busser believes that such rotational assignments throughout Capital One's business and operations areas have helped strengthen her understanding of the company's businesses and her relationships with senior management. "The ability to move around and take on new roles is one of the things that makes a strong organization," she says.