Pick up the phone

CTOs can become totally consumed with meeting the executives and interacting with partner companies, and meeting customers. It is easy to forget to delve into the personal, technical, and organizational side of your own business. If you do not know what is going on inside the company, you cannot know when you find something valuable on the outside.

Pick up the phone and call your business leaders, engineers, and scientists. Make an appointment for lunch or to drop by their office or lab. Going to where they are is important - (1) it shows that you are interested in their environment, (2) it proves that you know where they live, and (3) you will run into a number of other people that are interested in seeing you.