When it comes to IT, it pays to take risks. Although the IT culture doesn't always reward risk-takers, it's up to the CIO to change that practice. Putting a lot of money into R&D isn't enough; it's important to stretch your ideas and try new things, even encouraging collaboration outside of company headquarters. The CIO must be the first to spearhead this type of risk-taking and once it becomes accepted, it's important to stay involved--not only to keep projects on track, but to act as a liaison to the board. The CIO's expertise is what will drive real business change. Don't expect it to be easy, though. Nobody likes change, and you may run into obstacles during the transformation, but stick with it.

Read more about risk-taking:
- read the article at Computing Business