I believe in technology as a tool to drive change that creates competitive advantage within an organization. Nicholas Carr's article, "IT Doesn't Matter," proves a great point in that the commoditized side of IT will rarely lead to any advantage. I agree with that but only if one looks at IT simply as the hardware and software part of any project.The successful adoption of the right software can provide advantage. Take CRM for example. Most implementations of CRM fail – And fail miserably! Why? Because few people in an organization truly care about adoption. It is my belief that a traditional IT manager would consider their part of the project done once that CRM was successfully installed. But, a true CIO (or IT leader serving as CIO) is compelled to lead that project through from soup to nuts; acting as a strategic planner, listener, empathizer, interpreter, technologist, change agent, and activist. All these roles to play and only a few have to do with traditional IT. (This is probably where Mr. Carr and I differ on what IT really is…)The CIO Executive Council writes about a “Future State CIO,” where a CIO’s responsibilities revolves around three major aspects:Function Head – Focused on IT operational excellenceTransformation Leader – Focused on being a business partner and change agentBusiness Strategist – Focused on enterprise strategy, innovation and differentiationIn the “old” state, a CIO spends most of their time acting as a Function Head with little or no time for the other aspects. In the “future” state, a CIO divides their time with some time still acting as Function Head, but most of their time being both a Transformational Leader and Business Strategist.I believe in the Future State CIO. That IT can, and should, provide competitive advantage to their organization. I am proud to have worked on so many projects that prove this point and am excited to be working with so many start-ups and IT Leaders to help them do the same.