Transform Vision: From Analogue to Digital Leadership

Crafting a feasible vision is not an easy task as it demands an exhaustive comprehension of a plethora of imaginary paths into the future.
Complex dependencies, uncertain predictions and speculative wishes, too many unknown unknowns have to be taken into account.
Clarity of vision will amount to misleading guidance if it does not allow for this complexity to play out and the organisation is not empowered to adjust and steer its path.
A flexible and feasible approach will provide agile movement into the unknown, redefining the map as new territories are discovered.

Paths of Purpose: Future is not built in a day, and the journey is not the same for everyone. The right vision is one that creates a multitude of visible paths for everyone in the organisation. Use purpose as a single lighthouse, to guide them into a common digital future. Transform the road from analogue to digital, and also take the journey yourself, before attempting to transform the fellow travellers.
Passions Enabled: The road ahead will be constructed by your leadership team but the feasibility of the vision requires a good understanding of the enablers at all levels. Most important enabler is motivation; so, break digital success down to a supporting mission for each organisational unit, down to every single team member. Common purpose is necessary, but common passion(s) is even stronger.
Performers are People: Digital is not just a technology acquisition but a platform for enabling and empowering your people. Imagine digital performance as a people journey and measure the success of transformation initiatives by improvements in their performance. Digital ROI should be calculated as the total sum of performance improvements enabled by digital productivity investments. Consider their readiness and adoption as an integral part of the digital journey, and don’t let means become ends!

Power of Partnerships: No organisation functions in isolation and the adaptive digital enterprise is connection intensive, engaged in dynamic conversations. Include both demand chain and supply chain partnerships on the roadmap, as digital transformation has to extend to the whole ecosystem. Don’t build closed internal apps, instead deploy inclusive engagement platforms and co-creation communities or innovation “marketplaces”. Consider your customers, partners and employees as digital creators of future ideas and product/process/performance improvements.
Products Evolve by Prosumption: Digital markets can serve as evolutionary testbeds and innovation hubs. Imagine greenfields of user suggestions and cross-pollination of an infinite variety of ideas, requirements perfected by the very consumers. Design can be co-created online and you can entrust product management and continuous innovation to digital critics of your solutions/services. Convert consumers into producers and channel prosumer feedback to your research and development… Imagine a future when you can outsource design improvements to end users 🙂

Transform Vision