Business Transformation Requires Transformational Leaders

Commoditization has evolved as expected for end-user IT, as solutions embrace simplicity. But behind the scenes in IT there is chaos that has existed for at least 25 years. Though things may be cheaper, they are just as complex. Explore how the focus needs to shift in order for IT to experience its industrial revolution.

Take a minute and write an answer to the question, “What is technical debt?” Then read this Advisor and reread your answer — and see if it still makes sense.

Companies have been scrambling to respond to the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 18 months since it began, many organizations still wonder what the post-pandemic future holds. The challenges are far-reaching, ranging from resolving daily employee work modalities to existential digital business model transformation. In this Advisor, Noah Barsky provides his perspective on the most pressing challenges awaiting business and the “future of work” and identifies some fundamental business issues that should be taken into consideration by leaders to navigate the “next normal” of the business world.

When cultivating great innovation teams, impactful visioning addresses the central need for purpose, the strategic foresight for leveraging emotional intelligence, the balancing of goals and mission, and mindfully organizing the teams. This Advisor explores the role of impactful visioning on innovation teams.

Alanah Mitchell offers a five-step model to help firms successfully transition to post-pandemic hybrid work arrangements. Her recommendations for leaders include specific guidance about identifying purpose, accommodating needed flexibility, integrating IT, heightening employee experience, and incorporating substantial employee input. Her insightful ideas and central framework pinpoint the critical questions organizations must credibly answer in managing the indispensable human elements of the emerging workplace.

This article identifies resilience as the most prominent and lasting lesson of the pandemic. The authors point to the ingenuity, adaptability, and perseverance of the human spirit during times of challenge as a hallmark that can bolster organizations in the future. The piece explores the value of boosting employee resilience and includes detailed actions leaders can take to invest in employee well-being, enhance workplace culture, and drive performance.

Cutter Consortium Fellow Steve Andriole opens the issue with a fundamental question of the times, "What's different about pre- versus post-pandemic technology adoption?" He addresses the timeless imperative for technology leaders to be effective both strategically and operationally.

To help leaders navigate the "next normal" of the business world, the four articles in this issue focus on key lessons learned during the pandemic that will have lasting and substantive effects on business for the intermediate and longer term.