Hello, my name is Linda Cureton and I’m a former Federal CIO.

I retired a few short months ago and it’s amazing how many people say I look so relaxed and happy.  It begs the question, “Gee, what did I look like before?”

Though I ask the question in a tongue-in-cheek way, the seriousness of the question arises as I enter into a new career that is dedicated to creating … well … Happy CIOs.  Yes, this is possible, desirable, and noble.  Though I will speak from a context of public service, this is applicable whether you are a CIO in industry or in government.

I recently participated as a panelist at a conference.  I wasn’t surprised that some of the issues that came up related to the perennial questions about the role of the Federal CIO, the relevance of their position, and the efficacy of the Clinger-Cohen Act.  No doubt these issues can really make the job of a CIO difficult and ultimately create intense job dissatisfaction, but let’s face it, these are normal issues that Federal CIOs must wrestle with.  If you’re a CIO who hasn’t faced these issues, you’re not working hard enough.  A Michael Bloomberg quote says it best, “If you don’t encounter setbacks in your career, you’re not dreaming big enough.”  In other words, if you’re NOT having these problems, you should.

What makes a CIO happy is not the absence of challenges or problems but the presence of the things that keep us motivated and inspired.  Here are three tips to CIO Happiness.

Believe in the mission.  Sure, I was fortunate to work for NASA – an organization with an amazing mission that touches the hearts and souls of mankind.  But, wherever you are, there’s a mission that needs you.  Don’t lose sight of that.  Technologists are often tempted to give more thought to the technology than the purpose it serves.  Make sure your motivations are aligned to serve the mission, not your individual desire to advance a personal technology agenda.  If you love technology more than the mission, you’re going to be an unhappy CIO.

Believe in the customer.  As an executive, you’ll have a lot of oversight and second-guessing from stakeholders, watchdogs, and various spectators.  You will face seemingly no-win scenarios eventually.  If you align your decision-making to meet customer needs you won’t often look back with regret.  At one of my former agencies, the organization routinely took target practice at the CIO.  One of my happiest moments came when a customer said “… please don’t tell anyone I said this, but this is really good service!”  A happy CIO will measure herself not by the absence of customer dissatisfaction but by the presence of results directly related to creating customer satisfaction.

Believe In yourself.  The late Steven Jobs offered sound advice suitable for any CIO:

“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking, don’t settle.”

In order to be happy, you have to know what you love and what matters most to you.  Just like relationships, you will have good days and bad days.  But, if you love what you do, do what you love, and do it for people you love, your happiness is inevitable.