This chapter emphasizes the importance of focusing on strategy, leadership, and new ways of thinking when undergoing digital transformation. It highlights the need to solve customer problems and create value, as well as the significance of the people who will drive the change. The chapter also discusses the concept of negative and positive urgency in leading change efforts and provides examples from companies like Nokia and Ford Motor.
David Rogers: The Digital Transformation Roadmap
David Rogers is the world’s leading expert on digital transformation, a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School, and the author of five books. His previous landmark bestseller, The Digital Transformation Playbook, was the first book on digital transformation and put the topic on the map.
David has helped companies around the world transform their business for the digital age, working with senior leaders at many of the largest corporations and he's been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In his newest book, The Digital Transformation Roadmap*, David tackles the barriers behind the 70% of businesses that fail in their own digital efforts and offers a five-step roadmap to rebuild any organization for continuous digital change.
Most of us have heard that leading change requires highlighting a problem, deciding on a clear vision, and then cascading that vision down. In this conversation, David and I discuss how those actions alone often result failed outcomes. Instead, we highlight what a shared vision really is and how we can do a better job of helping the entire organization respond better to change.
Key Points
Most digital transformations fail because they focus too much on technology and not enough on the actual organizational challenges.
Selling a problem is negative urgency. It’s important as a component of change, but insufficient alone. Successful change leaders also embrace positive urgency.
A north star helps leaders and their organizations get clear on the “why” instead of simply the “what.” Once defined, thoughtful debate on measurement brings alignment and empowerment.
It’s a mistake for vision to only come from the top. Vision should exist at every level.
Avoid thinking about vision as cascading down. If anything, vision should be cascade up. How conversation happens at each juncture will define how well this works — or doesn’t.
Resources Mentioned
The Digital Transformation Roadmap* by David Rogers
The Digital Transformation Playbook* by David Rogers
David Rogers on Digital newsletter
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Pivot Quickly, with Steve Blank (episode 476)
Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
Doing Better Than Zero Sum-Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.