(US and Canada) Mario Faria, Vice President, Gartner Research Board, speaks with Robert Lutton, Vice President, Sandhill Consultants, about key concepts that digital leaders today should consider as they approach digital transformation. Faria, observing the behaviors of successful digital leaders, finds common topics and characteristics among them.

“Number one, they act as the CEO of their own company even though they report to the CEO. They are part of our department, they have the digital transformation, they see themselves as the CEO of those initiatives, they take ownership,” he says.

Next, he mentions the startup mentality. “They have a start-up mentality, which is, they do it fast. They learn as they go. They don’t do things perfectly on the first version, they improve through the next interaction. They have the idea of gaining market share and mind share so fast,” he explains.

He then mentions that successful digital leaders are focused on the incubation and transformation zone of the business. “That’s where they can contribute the most for their companies,” Faria points out. “Successful leaders always think about customer experience. Customer experience is key. So, if you do not think about who’s going to use the solution, even if you’re talking about machines, at one point they won’t be willing to be a part of the equation. So, think about customer experience.”

His fifth and last point: Partners are important. “We’re talking about a world that changes so fast, it’s a bit complicated. Nobody’s going to be able to do that alone, not even leaders. Find a way to have a network of partners you can rely on,” he concludes.