VP of Digital Transformation & Technology at Cisco, Karthik has spent the last 2 decades leading digital transformation and innovation.
getty
There is no denying that 2020 was a tough year. It, and the global pandemic that came with it, has irrevocably changed how we work in ways few could have predicted. Yet for all of the challenges, the lessons of 2020 bring opportunity. Here’s what I’ve learned about being a better digital transformation leader in 2021 and beyond.
1. Cultivate (and embrace) a beginner’s mindset.
I’ve long stood by this philosophy, but as the lessons of 2020 remind me: I simply don’t know everything. Business and customer needs continue to evolve, the world continues to have challenges that need solutions and new situations will inevitably prompt you to learn, grow and adapt. Not only as a leader, but as a colleague, a friend and a family man — I learn something every day and, over time, have gotten more comfortable with not knowing the solution to every problem. I encourage my teams to adopt a beginner’s mindset and challenge the status quo as well. Don’t be afraid to fail, don’t shy away from new environments and, as a leader, you must rise to the challenge to help your team(s) to meet business needs and drive outcomes.
2. Recognize the need for change and respond with urgency.
Digital transformation is not necessarily a new concept, but it is notoriously difficult to implement. Never has there been a more necessary time, or greater opportunity. Now, we need to change whole organizations and all the underlying systems and processes therein, from top to bottom. It is not as easy as making something digital that wasn’t before.
True digital transformation is about completely reimagining the way an organization works: from systems to data, to processes, to experiences, to people. To implement, transformation at this level has to be backed by a strong vision and strategy and an airtight operating model to support that strategy. This remains the case even more so now in our new environment. While the need for transformation isn’t new, the challenges of 2020 upped the ante, so to speak. Businesses no longer have the luxury of time; instead, the need has been rather unceremoniously forced upon them. Having focused on digital transformation at Cisco for the last two years, my team has already made significant progress in our transformation journey — and in many ways, 2020 has simply accelerated that timeline and imposed new levels of urgency and agility to assure the supporting operating model can accommodate the accelerated change.
3. Reinvigorate your focus on culture.
Now more than ever, focusing on employee experience is critical to enabling the best customer experiences. For my team, this is twofold. First, one of our core missions is to transform the processes, experiences and platforms that Cisco employees use to deliver to our customers and partners. Supported by a strong vision and operating model, our approach is to bring together the right mix of expertise and technology to seamlessly connect every part of the business. We use data, insights, adoption metrics and feedback to shape those experiences.
Second, and equally important, is a concentrated effort on the culture of the organization. While you collectively need to act with urgency and agility, you also need to take the time to slow down and have some fun along the way. In my organization, we have built a team of volunteers who work to instill a culture of curiosity by designing programs, activities and events geared toward healthier and happier work-lives. For example, we recently launched a 21-day challenge to develop healthier habits — everything from taking a 20-minute walk in the afternoon, to reading a new book, to decluttering our physical and digital worlds. Participants are tracking their progress in an app, sharing learnings and building a community along the way.
4. Open your (virtual) door and practice progressive transparency.
I’ve always maintained an open-door policy and modeled a flat hierarchy, but what does that look like in a 100% virtual environment? That means being open and available for conversations with team members at all levels of the organization. It means scheduling more skip-level one-on-ones and really listening to what employees are saying and how they are feeling — and then implementing changes to support them where appropriate.
Exemplify radical transparency through consistent, open communications with teams and ensuring that team members feel comfortable sharing their views and opinions. Through all of this, remember that everyone’s experiences are different and respect boundaries as much as possible. While there are times we have to rally together and respond quickly, respect and support individuals’ needs, including the need for downtime. My goal in leadership is to develop a high-performing team and provide a forum for people to learn, grow and prosper. To do that, I believe in fostering an environment where team members can collaborate, share ideas, give back and help each other. My role isn’t to solve every problem; it’s to enable my team to identify options, provide recommendations and tackle challenges effectively.
5. (Re)Examine your leadership altitude level.
Many times in my career, I’ve revisited what I consider the core tenets of my leadership philosophy. One such tenet that I invariably fall back on is the altitudes of leadership that I learned about during my Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.
The concept teaches that effective leaders operate at 50,000 feet with a strategic view, 500 feet with an operational view, and think at the five-foot level as well — focusing on personal awareness and development. While the landscape is different as 2021 continues, the approach remains key to leadership: define and align on a high-level strategic vision, develop a strong operating model to support and execute, and continually improve and refine as we go. While it feels we are approaching brighter days ahead, we will inevitably continue to face change and challenges. Looking back on what I’ve learned with my team over the last year, I am looking forward to tackling those hurdles together — perhaps even more effectively and collaboratively than in the past.
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
