Less than half the survey participants say the CIO is recognized as a business leader. This is mind-boggling--is the head of HR a business leader? Maybe he or she is just a "people leader," not a business leader. This is Exhibit A for why the "business-IT" line of demarcation needs to be erased once and for all. I believe the way a CIO allocates time is directly related to "business'" perception of the CIO. On that note, I plan to dedicate an upcoming article to how CIOs spend their time.

Forty-seven percent say they have neutral or negative perceptions of the CIO-business working relationship. This makes me wonder which among the following might be going through respondents' heads as they answer this question: "This is a problem and I should do something about it." "The problem is on the other side. When will the business (or IT) get its act together?" Is the onus solely on the CIO to develop a good working relationship? This reminds me of my mom saying "it takes two to tango" when I would get in a fight with my sister.

The value gained from IT in an organization depends on everyone's ability to understand it and access it. The attitude and culture required to embrace IT starts at the top. With all the talk in Washington of politicians reaching across the aisle (or failing to do so), these initial Digital IQ results show us that "bipartisanship" between business and IT could still use a boost as well.

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