HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leading Digital Transformation (with bonus article "How Apple Is Organized for Innovation" by Joel M. Podolny and Morten T. Hansen)

Digital Transformation Comes Down to Talent in Four Key Areas

by Thomas H. Davenport and Thomas C. Redman

OVER THE YEARS, WE’VE PARTICIPATED in, advised on, or studied hundreds of digital transformations. In doing so, we’ve gained a perspective on just how difficult true digital transformation really is and what it takes to succeed. Digital transformation is not for the faint of heart—the unfortunate reality is that, to date, many such efforts, like transformation programs in general, have failed.

Success requires bringing together and coordinating a far greater range of effort than most leaders appreciate. A poor showing in any one of four interrelated domains—technology, data, process, or organizational change capability—can scuttle an otherwise ...