Introduction: The End of Business as Usual 1

Chapter 1: Trends Shaping the Global Business Landscape 11

Chapter 2: A Brief History of Digital Transformation 19

Chapter 3: A Tale of Two Start-up Cultures 49

Chapter 4: Influencing Digital Business Transformation 93

Chapter 5: Foundation Elements of Digital Business Transformation 123

Chapter 6: Framework for Digital Business Transformation 165

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Successful Transformation 213

Chapter 8: Emerging Technologies and Human- Centred Transformation 243

Chapter 9: Case Studies 275

References 285

Acknowledgments 297

About the Author 299

Index 301

Praise for

THE HUMAN SIDE OF DIGITAL BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

“Digital transformation is defined on a spectrum of maturity that is necessary for companies to continue to be successful in the 4^th Industrial Revolution. Across each stage of maturity, the people aspects of change influence the success or failure of the transformation journey. The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation provides a blueprint for understanding how to influence the people element of transformation and guides leaders towards the next stage of industrial revolution.”
—Tony Saldanha, Co-Founder, Inixia Inc.; former Vice President for IT and Shared Services, Procter & Gamble; bestselling author of Why Digital Transformations Fail

“With The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation, Kamales Lardi addresses the main reasons why so many digital transformations fail to deliver on their promises. This book is not only timely, but also a fundamental tool for executives to maximize their chances of transformation success.”
—Didier Bonnet, Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation, IMD Business School; bestselling author of Leading Digital, described as the ???source code??? for understanding the DNA of successful digital transformation

“The most successful companies leverage technology to achieve rapid expansion in pursuit of a Massive Transformational Purpose (MTP). With this, they are able to scale their business strategies, culture, organizational frameworks, and purpose at the same rate as the exponential curve of technology development. In her book, The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation, Kamales offers a blueprint for transformation that addresses how organizations can pursue exponential growth while engaging and motivating employees through a strong focus on purpose.”
—Salim Ismail, Founding Executive Director of Singularity University; bestselling author of Exponential Organizations

“Leading an organization through disruption and transformation requires a new breed of leadership that is focused on creating a culture of kindness, innovation and collaboration. In her book The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation, Kamales Lardi highlights that the role of leadership shifts from directive to one that empowers employees within a safe and trusting environment. The book offers a thoughtful guide for leadership teams to better understand, engage and lead people through the transformation process for sustainable success.”
—Charlene Li, New York Times bestselling author of The Disruption Mindset; Chief Research Officer at PA Consulting

“Kamales Lardi understands the most fundamental truth about successful change: It’s all about people. In The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation, she delivers a wealth of actionable insights, practical advice, and real-world methodologies that will inspire and motivate the people in any organization to lean into the process of change and unleash the power of being truly digital.”
—Greg Verdino, business futurist, digital transformation thought leader, and bestselling author of Never Normal and MicroMarketing

“A sensible and thoughtfully guided breakdown of what it takes to enable human-centered digital transformation and build an interconnected ecosystem of digital muscle. A must-read for senior leadership and industry practitioners who want to eschew vague business lexicon and dig into the meat of delivering more value to digital business transformation efforts.”
—Ronald van Loon, CEO & Principal Analyst, The Intelligent World

Business as usual is no longer valid as rapid changes in customer expectations, supply chain interactions, employee management, and internal operations require organizations to fundamentally rethink how they create, deliver and capture value in the market. Digital technologies are a key component of this organizational shift. But implementing and integrating many of these new technologies and strategies is more challenging than it first appears.

In The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation, tech and business leader Kamales Lardi delivers a hands-on discussion of digital transformation in the real world. The book explores effective strategies for implementing digital business transformation by putting the key drivers of success or failure—the human beings in charge of the plan—front and centre. The author explains how to manage internal stakeholders, including leadership teams and employees, and external stakeholders, like customers, partners, and suppliers.

You’ll find a proven framework for digital business transformation that enables and accelerates business growth. You’ll also discover digital maturity and transformation readiness assessments that show you how prepared your firm is to confront the new digital marketplace, as well as best practices and key learnings that drive the human side of transformation. The book offers real-world case studies and examples from business leaders who describe the factors they relied on to achieve success in the digital arena.

The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation provides personal stories and anecdotes from the people who have successfully bridged the analog-to-digital divide. It also includes best practices and learnings your firm can leverage to accelerate your own transformation journey.

An essential strategic playbook for managers, executives, and other business leaders, this book also belongs in the libraries of technology professionals, as well as consultants and other professionals who serve companies of all sizes.