So called 'moments that matter' are key to the career trajectory of senior IT leaders in UK, France and Germany, rather than day-to-day activities.
More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) believe their career success is defined by key moments that generate recognition and deliver success for the wider organisation.
Such 'moments' were identifies as new infrastructure changes; external events such as data outages and tech crisis; and responding to emerging customer requirements.
This is consistent across companies from different verticals and sizes, with 75% of IT leaders at SMEs agreeing with this statement.
The link between 'moments that matter' and personal success is stronger for IT leaders that perceive themselves as 'exceeding expectations' in their role (91%).
These 'moments that matter' are also clearly identified when exploring their working relationships with suppliers. The majority of IT leaders (85%) agreed that technology issues are sometimes inevitable and that a partner proves its value when things go wrong (81% for SMEs). They understand the impact of service interruption and act accordingly.
The research shows that more than half (62%) of IT leaders believe their teams are more focused on strategic projects than keeping things running (60% for SMEs). However, an analysis of the moments that matter mentioned by respondents showed a conflict between their aspirations and the reality of their daily roles.
James Kershaw, Sales Director at Colt, said: "The results show how important it is to work with the right team - both in terms of your internal team and trusted suppliers and partners.
"It presents an opportunity for channel partners and resellers to build a closer relationship with their customers.
"What's interesting is that a similar proportion of IT leaders within enterprises and SMEs believe supplier trust is the most important element in ensuring successful outcomes, demonstrating the value of trusted partners.
"We are confident our channel partners will play a pivotal role in helping customers evolve the IT function into a strategic role - keeping their core services running in the background while they focus on what matters most to their businesses."