Leader of neverending projects

Danish and foreign studies show, around 70 % of all transformation initiatives do not give the wished effect or result. Eager listeners came to learn – what will be required of the future digital leaders and how can they prepare for the future.
Stine H. Tarp
June 3, 2015

To look at the future digital leader, you have to take a look at the current situation in your company. Peter Leth from IDA, Jette Lundin from IT-Vest and Allan Salling from Courant/OCAI gave their approaches on how to prepare for being the future digital leader.

The members of IDA (union of the engineers) had participated in a study, which is currently processed. Peter Leth revealed, that the perfect digital leader will be able to manage these areas; leadership, expertise and management. How the leader will split his/hers time will be individual. However, it will be of importance, that the leader has a minimum level of technological knowledge and skills to lead in future digital projects. The leader must have a helicopter view of the project, and the leader must be prepared to delegate tasks. A leader must gain competences but not necessarily be a specialist in everything. The role will be of a co-ordinator… if Peter Leths should make a guess of who the future digital leader would be; He would say, an engineer with acquired managing skills.

A collaboration between three universities; University of Aarhus, University of Aalborg and University of Southern Denmark IT-Vest provides masters for experienced employees working with IT. Jette Lundin stressed, that the future digital leader should be able to collaborate across departments and in all steps of the value chain. The leader should prepare for, IT projects will be neverending. When planning a new technological project for the company, it will be a starting platform from which the company will continue developing and grow. This requires a digital future leader, who knows how to navigate the company.

Allan Salling took outset in the company culture. You have to know your status quo in the company. A way to uncover your company culture, the tool OCAI can be used. OCAI is inspired by the DiSC personality program and shows, whether your company culture is either; Rationel, Hierarchical, Clan or Innovation- and Ad Hocracy. The OCAI tool is easy to use and can show the tendency of how your company is perceived in-house. Your company shows all 4 cultures, but only one will be more significant than the others. The test will furthermore show, the desired future status of the company. Leaders will know where to put an effort and can try navigate towards the desired future status.

”Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Peter Drucker