The Next-Generation Digital Leader

This IDC Perspective discusses how CEOs are looking for digital leaders that bring differentiation and leadership in terms of strategy, ROI, and risk.The expectations of the next generation of digital leadership are high. CEOs and boards are keen to see value-based impacts through disruptive strategies, and next-generation CIOs must deliver on those expectations. The CIO of the future needs to be looking around the corner all the time, devising strategies that address the gaps in how work gets done today and enabling a differentiated strategy across the following five key industry shifts:Technology-centric KPIs will be assumed. There must be a clear and defendable AI strategy that supports experimentation and impact while recognizing and managing the inherent risk factors. The lines between digital talent and business talent will blur, so there will be an overarching development strategy to build the workforce that is needed for the future. Data will be accessible and reliable, supporting operations and decision-making at ever-increasing rates of speed and complexity. Customers will feel the difference. The next-generation CIO needs to be proactively out ahead of all those shifts, bringing clear and measured value to the strategy and business model. "How work gets done and what makes a difference for success are now forever intertwined with digital strategy and capability. Business processes are no longer linear, and every new partnership and technology adds to the complexity. AI-supported processes will quickly erode institutional knowledge to the point that there is no going back. Few businesses can rest on their traditional business models," says Alizabeth Calder, adjunct research advisor for IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP).