Why CIOs need to master the art of adaptation

In the 1960s and early ’70s, Chrysler Corporation was a muscle-car powerhouse. It rolled out Dodge Chargers and Plymouth Barracudas with Hemi V8 engines that roared past 425 horsepower. Loud, fast, and stylish, these cars made Chrysler a cultural icon, and the company kept doubling down on them.

But what helped define Chrysler’s glory years also set the stage for its downfall. The automaker’s fixation on fuel-hungry muscle, even as gas prices shot up, was not aligned with the smaller, more efficient cars that customers wanted. By 1979, Chrysler was on the brink of bankruptcy and was forced to seek a $1.5 billion government bailout, the first ever for a major carmaker.

Luckily, a seasoned auto executive, Lee Iacocca, took over as CEO and turned things around. He discarded the old playbook, steering Chrysler toward affordable models. The K-Car line became a hit, and minivans created an entirely new category of family vehicle that sold in the millions.

Sometimes growth means letting go of past strengths and focusing on changing course, but the decision to do so is rarely simple. It often means questioning strategies and expertise that once brought success, and exiting comfort zones. Now as gen AI reshapes industries at high speed, we’re seeing how clinging to old formulas can still lead to decline, only quicker.

“Adaptability is more critical than ever,” says Zoltan Vass, interim CIO, CTO, and co-founder at Global Tech Advocates — Future of Work. “Deep expertise still matters, but without adaptability, leaders and businesses risk becoming obsolete fast.”

According to Foundry’s State of the CIO Survey 2025, more than 80% of CIOs acknowledge their role is now centered on innovation and transformation rather than just IT operations. That shift means they have to pivot strategies, retrain teams, and reconsider the tools they work with.

In today’s paradigm, what sets CIOs apart is the ability to adapt when old strategies stop working, balance risk with opportunity, and lead organizations through uncertainty.

A calculated approach

Adaptability sounds simple in theory, but when and how CIOs should walk away from tested tools and procedures is another matter. It should be grounded in security, ROI, scalability, and compliance, rather than gut instincts since there needs to be a more structured framework for tough decisions, and a clear way to explain them to stakeholders.

“If those criteria are clear, then saying no to a vendor or not yet to a CEO is measurable and people can see the reasoning, rather than it feeling arbitrary,” says Dimitri Osler, CIO and co-founder of UCaaS platform provider Wildix. He also recommends that every adjustment is tied to a measurable outcome, which could range from hours saved, better customer satisfaction, or revenue impact.

Deciding which tools or processes should be kept and which should be discarded naturally requires time and careful evaluation. “CIOs shouldn’t feel the need to rip and replace their technology,” says Joe Partlow, CTO for cybersecurity tech company ReliaQuest. “Nothing should be retired without a thoughtful evaluation of the impact of doing so, and ensuring it won’t break any system or process.”

One of the ways to boost flexibility is by using modular systems that can adapt as conditions change, whether it’s shifting market pressures, new regulations, or new technologies. “In our case, this has meant designing platforms where new AI agents can be added without tearing everything apart,” Osler says. “The principle is the same: pilot small, prove the value, and scale quickly once you know it works.”

Both Osler and Partlow recommend that leaders be open to more cutting-edge tools, and empower teams to experiment with new ideas or alternative solutions.

“Curiosity has been the most practical habit,” Osler says. “I test things myself before I ask anyone else to. And I’ve learned to listen closely to the people who feel the impact first: staff, partners, and customers.”

But not every experiment will be successful, and CIOs shouldn’t take rejection personally and have the humility to let go of ideas — “even ones you personally championed, when they no longer add value,” says Osler. They should also keep in mind that testing tools, talking to people, and making hard decisions can be draining. 

“Adaptability demands energy, clarity, and resilience,” Vass points out. “These only come when you allow yourself to recharge.”

Overrated advice

Not every piece of wisdom about adaptability deserves to be followed. Mantras like fail fast sound inspiring but can lead CIOs astray. The risk is spreading teams too thin, chasing fads, and losing sight of real priorities.

“The most overrated advice is this idea you immediately have to adopt everything new or risk being left behind,” says Osler. “In practice, reckless adoption just creates technical and cultural debt that slows you down later.”

Another piece of advice he’d challenge is the idea of constant reorganization. “Change for the sake of change doesn’t make teams more adaptive,” he says. “It destabilizes them.” Real adaptability comes from anchored adjustments, where every shift is tied to a purpose, otherwise, you’re just creating motion without progress, Osler adds.

Dan Carpenter, CIO at software developer Amplitude, also warns there’s such a thing as being too flexible. When CIOs bend too far, they risk losing focus as well as credibility. “If CIOs are overly adaptable, they won’t deliver on the priorities and business objectives they’ve set in place,” he says. “If we become overly adaptive to changing business priorities, then we’ll miss delivery expectations as there’s not enough time.”

A matter of organizational culture

Adaptability is a skill that can be honed, yet in many organizations, CIOs are expected to build that muscle on their own, without the right training or the right support, which leaves them vulnerable to burnout.

“Adaptability can’t simply be demanded from leaders,” says Mitra Madanchian, vice chair and associate professor at University Canada West in Vancouver. “It must be cultivated within the organizational system as a whole.”

A powerful way to build adaptability is to create a culture of constant learning, in which employees at all levels are expected to grow. This can be achieved by seeing change as an opportunity, not a disruption. Structures like flatter hierarchies can also play a role because they can enable fast decision-making and give people the confidence to respond to shifting circumstances, Madanchian adds.

Equally important is creating environments that encourage people to exit their comfort zones without fear of failure. Organizations that embrace the idea of safe space allow people to feel comfortable with trying new things and voicing concerns. The flipside of this, a culture of fear or silence, stifles innovation and keeps everyone from adapting when it matters most. The research on this is clear. “Organizations that reward curiosity, resilience, and collaborative problem-solving are far better positioned to adapt to the continuous transformations driven by AI,” Madanchian adds.

Training leaders to become adaptive requires a deliberate combination of technical understanding and human-centered development. First, they need to build digital literacy, particularly around AI, in order to make informed decisions. Then they must be trained in systems thinking, to help them see interdependencies and anticipate the broader implications of change.

The curriculum for adaptability should also include critical thinking and decision making. “Resilience and agility are equally important, and these can be strengthened through scenario planning, crisis simulations, and exposure to unfamiliar problem-solving situations,” Madanchian says. “Ethical decision-making should be a central component of training, ensuring that leaders are equipped to handle complex dilemmas related to data, privacy, and fairness.”

Carpenter additionally points out two skills he wished he’d known earlier in his career. The first is how to manage stakeholders. “If you aren’t connected to your stakeholders and don’t have a clearly defined way of discussing your priorities, then leaders are likely to run into problems down the line,” he says. The second, he says, is time management, a strategic capability to enable leaders to set realistic expectations. Managing time better can allow CIOs to avoid over-committing and under-delivering.

Dr Tobias Bock, researcher and managing partner at tech consultancy Nexery, points out that leaders need to learn how to best tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity, and use those skills to help work in cross-functional teams where humans and machines collaborate.

“In five years, the workplace will be shaped by a hybrid model of humans and AI,” he says. “Hierarchies will flatten because AI reduces coordination costs, and the CIO role will evolve into that of an orchestrator of human and machine collaboration.”

Madanchian agrees that this latest generation will experience major shifts in how people work, with CIOs at the forefront. “The workplace of the near future will be intelligent, adaptive, and interconnected, but its success will depend heavily on leaders who can integrate advanced technology with distinctly human qualities,” she says.