Blog

To lead a digital transformation is often a task of not a singular leader, but a whole group of highly competent people such as the CEO, CTO, data experts, and more. That is because all the responsibilities that come with leadership like setting the strategy, allocating resources, and driving collaboration are often too much for one person to handle.

This claim is supported by our digital transformation experience as well –  we’ve helped hundreds of businesses and seen how important it is to distribute leadership roles so as not to fail. To help you with leadership, in this article, we’re exploring who should be responsible for your digital transformation efforts and breaking down each core leadership role.

Who Should Lead Digital Transformation?

A blend of senior management such as the CEO, CDO/CTO, and groups of people such as IT department, data experts, and the change management team can lead digital transformation. Sometimes there’s even an external consultant in the picture, but overall you should remember that who is driving digital transformation will massively depend on the company size, the skill sets of senior team members, as well as the scale of the transformation itself. 

Let’s look into each leadership position in greater detail: 

• CEO – CEOs are usually in the best position to define the overall vision for digital transformation, ensuring it aligns with the business’s long-term goals;

• CDO/CTO – They oversee the execution of the digital strategy and bring to the table a deep understanding of technologies and trends, aligning them with the objectives;

• IT Department – They are usually the most hands-on team members – they implement and manage technologies required for the transformation;

• Data/Analytics Experts – These team members perform data collection, storage, analysis, and visualization, making sure that transformation doesn’t actually hurt the business, but benefits it;

• Change Management Team – They are crucial in developing clear and ongoing communication plans to keep employees informed about the transformation and its implications; they also provide training and support to help people adapt to new technologies and processes;

• Digital Transformation Consultants – These are external experts () who are often hired to share industry best practices and insights and provide specialized expertise in various aspects of digital transformation, filling skill gaps within the organization.

What is the Role of Leadership in Digital Transformation?

Leading a digital transformation includes a whole host of responsibilities, from strategic ones like setting the long-term vision and making data-driven decisions, to practical ones – ensuring continuous team agility and making use of technology in clever and efficient ways. 

And, as mentioned above, due to this multifaceted nature of leadership in digital transformation, you will usually see the key tasks and responsibilities split between various team members. Let’s dive into those responsibilities: 

Setting Vision and Strategy

This vision should be a clear and compelling picture of what the organization seeks to achieve through the transformation. It also should align with the organization’s overall strategic goals, serving as a roadmap for the journey. Leaders must articulate the “why” behind the transformation, inspiring buy-in and enthusiasm among teams.

Building a Culture of Innovation

A digital transformation leader needs to actively champion the adoption of new technologies, processes, and innovative thinking. They should also aim to foster a culture of innovation by encouraging employees to experiment and take calculated risks. This requires creating an environment where failure is seen as a learning opportunity, not a setback.

Driving Change Communication

Effective leaders communicate the purpose of the digital transformation, address concerns, and engage with employees at all levels. At the same time, communication should be a two-way street, where leaders actively listen to feedback and address issues as they arise. This way, transparent and consistent communication builds trust and minimizes resistance.

Utilizing Technology Savviness

Digital leadership requires a strong expertise in technology – leaders must possess a deep understanding of emerging tools and how they can impact the organization. This knowledge empowers leaders to make informed decisions regarding technology adoption, ensuring that choices align with strategic goals.

Allocating Resources Effectively

Leaders oversee the budget allocation, ideally keeping in mind all aspects of the transformation, including technology costs, training, change management, and contingency funds. Focusing on areas that will have the most significant impact seems obvious, but one should also remember that resources are not just money, but also the team members themselves. For instance, it often makes sense to promote cross-functional collaboration to optimize resource use across departments.

Mitigating Risks

Leaders must also develop a comprehensive risk management plan that identifies potential threats such as technology failures or data security breaches. For every possible issue, there must be a strategy for mitigating those risks, coming not only with a list of activities but also details such as team resource allocation and crisis resolution timeline.

Remaining Customer-Centric

When you lead digital transformation, you shouldn’t lose sight of the most important thing for any business – its customers. It’s not uncommon that businesses instigate change that turns out to be only for the sake of change and doesn’t benefit their customers at all. That’s why the leadership group should use data analytics and customer feedback to gain a deep understanding of their preferences and pain points. Then, they should prioritize activities that directly impact the customer journey, focusing on areas like personalization, responsive customer service, and streamlined purchase processes.

Inspiring Collaboration

Facilitating teamwork both within the department and between departments is another key aspect of driving digital transformation. They should create an environment where teams are encouraged to experiment together and take mutual ownership of their work. As mentioned above, cross-functional collaboration can be very useful, breaking down silos and promoting teamwork across the company. 

Making Data-Driven Decisions

A digital transformation leader ensures that everyone on the team has access to relevant data and analytics tools to keep themselves informed and suggest new strategies. This approach also allows for agility (which is next on our list), enabling quick adaptation to changing conditions indicated by the data. On top of that, it naturally reduces the reliance on gut instincts which may be detrimental to the long-term future of the business..

Being Agile and Adaptable

Lastly, leading a digital transformation also demands creating an organizational environment that is able to rapidly respond to any internal or external triggers – be it team morale reduction or market shifts. This means being open to adjusting strategies and tactics in real time to remain competitive and meet evolving customer needs.

Conclusion

Leadership in digital transformation is often a shared responsibility – people in executive positions such as CEO, CDO/CTO combine their efforts with the members of the IT department, the analytics team, and the change management team, among others. They all have their distinct roles in the leadership group – some build the strategy and vision, some encourage collaboration, and some serve as the technology experts. 

Still, due to the complex nature of leadership and digital transformation, it’s entirely possible that all the internal resources are not sufficient to tackle all the issues. In those cases, you’ll be well advised to reach out to reliable external digital transformation consultants like OMI – they will help you fill all the skill gaps and guide you to successful digitization.