OPINION
TOP FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION LEADERS
CIOs must possess five key characteristics to lead and deliver on digital transformation.
A
s CIOs face ever-expanding responsibilities in their roles, they must remain effective in dealing with uncertainty and change. Digital not only disrupts business, but it also transforms leadership. Gartner research shows that successful digital business initiatives demand paradigm shifts in technology leadership and new ways of thinking and approaching challenges.
HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL LEADER: FIVE CHARACTERISTICS TO ADOPT Business transformation can be accelerated or derailed depending on how effective leaders are at transforming themselves. Executive technology leadership must anticipate digital opportunities and threats, use technology to adapt to changing conditions and find leverage and value from disruption. To become an effective digital CIO, it is important to understand and adopt these five characteristics:
16
BT JUNE 2023.indd 16
JUNE 2023
NO. 1: NEOPHILIA: A TENDENCY TO LIKE ANYTHING NEW; LOVE OF NOVELTY Neophiliacs are naturally curious and attracted to new things. They seek to explore and find new ways to create value. Neophiliacs welcome varying ideas from others that shift from the past, a key component of any successful digital transformation. A neophiliac asks, “What do we want to achieve?” rather than “What have we got?”, rejecting current assumptions. The ultimate objective drives solutions to seemingly complex problems. Effective digital CIOs also embrace innovation. They tend to have a high degree of creativity, defined as the ability to connect seemingly unrelated areas.
NO. 2: DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES: INVENT, BUT ALSO COPY Digital leaders don’t necessarily invent and innovate all the time. In reality, successful
biznesstransform.com
7/4/2023 4:59:27 PM
