What do you do if your organization lacks leadership for driving digital transformation?

Here are some steps you could consider: 1. Identify Champions Within the Organization. 2.Upskill Current Leaders:Provide training and resources to current leaders to help them understand the importance and impact of digital transformation. 3.Consultancy and External Expertise:Engage with consultants or industry experts who can provide the necessary guidance and support. 4.Encourage a Culture of Innovation:Foster an organizational culture that values experimentation and innovation. Encourage leaders and employees to take calculated risks with new digital projects, which can lead to greater engagement and a push towards digital transformation.

It's essential to take proactive steps to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and change. Starting with conducting a comprehensive assessment of the organization's current digital capabilities, culture, and leadership landscape to identify gaps and areas for improvement by alignment with company stakeholders to get feedback from employees, teams, and stakeholders to understand their perspectives, challenges, and expectations regarding digital transformation leadership.

It's crucial to take proactive steps towards that. Start by raising awareness among senior management about the importance and benefits of digital transformation. Advocate for the creation of a dedicated leadership position or team responsible for driving digital initiatives. Identify and empower existing employees with relevant skills and expertise to champion digital transformation efforts. Invest in leadership development programs or external consultants to provide guidance and support. Foster a culture of innovation and collaboration to encourage participation and buy-in across the organization. By addressing the leadership void and fostering a digital-first mindset, you can pave the way for successful digital transformation initiatives

Start by educating senior leadership about the importance of digital transformation and its potential impact on the organization's competitiveness, growth, and sustainability. Provide case studies, industry insights, and success stories to demonstrate the value of embracing digital technologies and strategies. Work with stakeholders to develop a clear and compelling digital vision for the organization. Offer leadership training and development programs focused on digital transformation, technology adoption, change management, and innovation. Equip leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to effectively lead digital initiatives and drive organizational change.

Businesses don't know what they don't know. Assessing needs is possible when you know what the state of the art in the industry is, otherwise any level of digitalization will seem absolutely fine to you. This requires keeping the pulse of the "external world", getting up to speed and then up to date with real industry standards. The point of digitalization isn't to be "modern" for the sake of it: it always needs to translate into some advantage for the company, be it saving time, money, or resources. Once you realize this very simple truth, the path becomes clearer: you can address what is lacking with the bottom line in mind!

To drive digital transformation without designated leadership, identify and empower internal champions within the organization. These are individuals who are enthusiastic about digital initiatives and possess the influence or expertise to lead change. Provide these champions with the necessary resources and authority to pilot projects and rally others. Encouraging a culture that supports innovation and risk-taking is crucial, as it allows these champions to experiment and implement digital strategies that can demonstrate value and build momentum for wider organizational change.

When your organization lacks the necessary leadership to drive digital transformation, consider engaging with consultants experts in digital strategy, innovation and with practical knowledge on delivery. They bring expertise and an external perspective that can help catalyze the necessary changes and implement effective strategies. This approach not only accelerates transformation but also builds internal capabilities for sustained digital growth.

Once again, businesses don't know what they don't know, but they do like to be lead by example. Business "regions" are entire ecosystems, business owners and CEOs know each other and in general it's just easier to thread a path that has already been established as successful by someone else. A good place to start looking for possible partners, if none are available in your network, is the Chamber of Commerce, industry awards, and even companies that specialize in digital transformation as a service. However, in my experience, it's rare for a company to undergo a serious digital transformation journey just by relying on partnerships. They can be an inspiring support, but definitely not the main driver of innovation.

In my experience, data reigns supreme. I always start by obtaining permission to install key trackers across various digital activities—from marketing and operations to sales. Customer feedback is paramount. I conduct small-scale experiments for three to six months, then use the data to demonstrate potential improvements and seek approval for larger-scale experiments. This approach often helps dissolve resistance from upper management over time, facilitating a gradual digital transformation of the business. Throughout this process, I extensively use the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) method to ensure continuous improvement.