From navigating generative AI disruption and rising cybersecurity concerns to adapting to economic pressures and global instability, today’s technology leaders are expected to lead with clarity amidst constant change.

This is the environment in which leadership happens. And we are called to lead.

In her celebrated book Leadership in Turbulent Times, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles four U.S. presidents who led during national crises. While the stakes and contexts differ, the leadership traits they embodied offer useful reflections for CIOs seeking steadiness, focus, and progress during challenging periods.

Beyond a simple history lesson, this book offers a mirror to the modern executive, reminding us that resilience, purpose, and adaptability are not bound by time. As CIOs continue to lead under pressure, the need to embody timeless leadership principles is greater than ever.

And if you’re reading this as a CIO, know this: you’re doing harder work than most will ever see. The complexity you manage, the trust you earn, and the innovation you steward matters. The fact that you’re seeking to lead with integrity through uncertainty is itself a mark of leadership. Stay the course. Your impact runs deeper than you know.

Purpose as a Steady Guide

In uncertain environments, ambiguity can quickly lead to paralysis. A clearly defined purpose serves as an essential compass, helping technology leaders and their teams make decisions that stay aligned with long-term goals. For CIOs, this means more than implementing tools, it means anchoring every decision in the overarching mission of the organization.

Whether launching a new enterprise platform, reshaping cybersecurity strategy, or responding to a shifting regulatory landscape, having a shared sense of purpose ensures cohesion and momentum.

Purpose creates the narrative behind your initiatives, the “why” behind the roadmap.

Abraham Lincoln, during the gravest period of national division, consistently framed his leadership around a single guiding idea: preserving the Union. CIOs may face different pressures, but the leadership move remains the same, stay anchored in what matters most.

When you’re aligned to purpose, you won’t second-guess every challenge. You’ll lead through it and others will follow.

Acting with Timely Intent

In a fast-moving world, inaction often equals irrelevance. Today’s CIO must balance strategic patience with the ability to move when it matters. Leaders who hesitate too long risk losing traction, missing opportunities for innovation, or being outpaced by more agile competitors.

Acting with intent doesn’t mean rushing. It means understanding when conditions require experimentation, when risks are calculated, and when to push forward despite uncertainty. In an age where pilot projects, proof-of-concepts, and agile methodologies are common, CIOs must normalize forward motion, even when the full path isn’t clear.

Theodore Roosevelt, known for his energetic leadership style, took action in the face of personal loss and political challenge. That instinct to respond, to try, and to adjust is key to the modern CIO’s mindset — especially when managing change fatigue or evolving digital priorities.

You don’t need all the answers to get started. You just need enough clarity to take the next right step and the courage to take it.

Communication as a Cultural Tool

A technology roadmap is essential, but without cultural alignment, strategies often fall short. And culture, more than anything, is shaped by how leaders communicate. In turbulent times, the voice of the CIO becomes both a source of information and a reflection of stability.

Clarity, consistency, and empathy in messaging can calm anxieties and unify teams.

CIOs must recognize their responsibility as communicators, not just planners. Frequent, candid communication builds a culture of transparency, which is essential when expectations shift, resources tighten, or mistakes happen.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats during the Great Depression were a great example of humanized leadership. Today’s CIO can do the same by demystifying decisions, explaining trade-offs, and creating space for feedback. Your presence, verbal, digital, and emotional, shapes how your organization engages with change.

Your words can be a stabilizing force in a sea of uncertainty. Use them not just to inform but to inspire.

Building Coalitions Over Command

Leading in today’s enterprise environment means operating through influence, not mandate. CIOs rarely succeed by dictating direction; they succeed by cultivating consensus. Whether it’s gaining buy-in for cloud migration, securing investment in data governance, or aligning on AI ethics, success hinges on relationships.

Influence requires listening, translating technical objectives into business impact, and co-creating outcomes with internal partners. The CIO’s office must be a hub of alignment, connecting strategy across silos.

Lyndon B. Johnson was a master of this, advancing transformative policy through behind-the-scenes negotiations and unlikely alliances. CIOs who adopt this collaborative posture build stronger, more enduring change.

Collaboration isn’t compromise, it’s strength. Build bridges, and you’ll build progress.

Consistency Builds Confidence

Amid constant technological and organizational change, teams look to leadership for stability. Even when the roadmap evolves, the presence of a calm, measured leader reassures people that they are in capable hands.

In times of pressure, budget cuts, system outages, vendor challenges, the CIO’s ability to remain grounded directly impacts morale.

Consistency does not mean rigidity. It means reliability of thought, tone, and leadership presence. It means acknowledging uncertainty without becoming overwhelmed by it. In an environment where trust can be easily shaken, the CIO must become a source of strength.

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s presidential profiles underscore this again and again, the importance of projecting steadiness when others falter. For CIOs, this means showing up not just as a technologist, but as a trusted leader who others instinctively turn to in uncertain times.

Your calm is more powerful than you think. Steady leadership doesn’t just guide decisions it grounds people.

The Wrap

There is no doubt that our current climate is defined by turbulence, geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, polarized dialogue, and an ever-accelerating pace of technological change. In this context, CIOs aren’t just navigating disruption; they’re helping to demonstrate what effective leadership looks like.

Even more importantly, remember that your teams are watching, not just the decisions you make, but how you carry them. Your tone, consistency, and presence are cultural signals. As Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, reminds us: “People look to leaders not only for direction but also for emotional guidance. In any human group, the leader is the one who sets the emotional tone.”

This is the real responsibility of leadership today, creating the conditions in which others can thrive, even when circumstances are uncertain. That’s what CIOs are being called to do.

CIOs today operate in a world of complexity, but the core tenets of leadership remain familiar: clarity of purpose, timely decision-making, thoughtful communication, collaborative influence, and steady presence. These qualities are what allow technology leaders to thrive, not just survive in turbulent times. They guide teams through uncertainty, enable bold yet responsible innovation, and build a foundation of trust that supports enterprise resilience.

Yes, the technologies may change, but these leadership principles endure.