I’ve spent the last decade advising businesses leaders on the challenge of digital transformation: how should an organization started before the internet evolve, in order to grow in the digital economy? In many cases, this started with persuasion—getting the board and others aligned on the signature importance of digital to their own future. Today, that conversation is decidedly different. In the new normal, digital is no longer a question of “if,” but “how fast?”

Digital has been the big winner in the COVID era. Our new reality has forced a pivot to digital operating models in industries as diverse as healthcare, retail, education, automotive, banking, and more. But transforming any large and complex organization for this era is an immense leadership challenge. It encompasses new strategy and business models, but also profound shifts in organizational process and culture.

In order to lead the kind of agile, customer-focused, bottom-up organization demanded by today’s rapid pace of change, leaders need to invest in the right technology and business architecture. In this research study, we bring together the insights of business leaders from four continents and dozens of industries—who shed light on the leadership road ahead for all of us.