What Do Digitally Transformed Leaders Do Differently?

The first thing to know about the path to digital transformation is that your company has already started on it. If you’re using email technology or placing conference calls with far-flung staff on Zoom or Skype, you’ve already started to embrace a digital-first approach to business. Digital transformation, however, isn’t about optimising the existing structures with digitalisation. It’s about establishing new, digital-centric structures that can replace the old, quasi-analogue ones with more resilient cloud-based solutions. This article takes a look at four things digital transformation leaders do differently to other leaders in an organisation:

– Collaborative Value

It’s challenging to measure and refine the value that comes from digital transformation. What outcomes are most desirable, and what will the organisation look like once the digital transformation has commenced in earnest? Successful transformation involves collaborative value definitions, where staff members jointly define value and continuously improve the value they provide to stakeholders.

 – Better Organisation

Transformation leaders understand that true digital transformation is an organisation-wide effort – not just the responsibility of one or two designated team members. Companies should organise themselves around value streams, where interconnected organisational teams with a shared purpose deliver differentiated customer value through digital platforms.

– Changing Mindset

Since digital transformation is a company-wide effort and impacts every single aspect of business operations, the most essential element of successful digital transformation is shifting the mindsets of all organisational stakeholders. Companies that support their staff and empower them to be “digital athletes” will foster a culture of digital-first thinking and transformative mindsets.

 -No More Silos

Does your organisation have a consistency of purpose? When business activities are facilitated independently, or performed in silos, the shared purpose and direction can be diluted and lost. Since there is more and more integration across all sectors of business these days, all staff from all departments should be on the same page in terms of how and why digital transformation is taking place.

Some digital transformation leaders fill the shoes by default because they are already high-ranking business representatives. Others are appointed as digital transformation facilitators by their higher-ups. Regardless of who drives it, digital transformation is going to become more important for all organisations – across the planet – as we move into this new decade and beyond.

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