048: Agile Leadership for Digital Transformation

Published: April 15, 2020, 8 a.m.

 Digital Enterprise Society is the authority on the transformation to a digital enterprise, impacting all areas of an organization. Tune in for discussions among industry leaders about operations and action needed to drive digitization principles forward for the future of product development and life cycles. 

 

In today’s episode, Craig Brown and Thom Singer welcome Liz Nilsen, Associate Director of the Agile Strategy Lab at the University of Northern Alabama.   Liz will be one of the featured instructors at the upcoming “Agile Leadership for Digital Transformation” online course and has joined us today to discuss ideas for effectively inspiring change within your organization.  Why are some organizations so successful while others seem so dysfunctional? Liz understands that effective leaders are the key to successful organizations, and highlights the value of strategic doing.  In an inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss, she shares ideas to help leaders increase effectiveness in networking, in communication, and even in meetings.

 

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

 

The value of strategic doing

  • The crossroads between those who develop and those who implement strategic plans is the critical role of strategic doing
  • How do effective employees make time to implement strategic plans?
  • It is essential to take time to plan your strategy, then take time to implement that strategy

 

A more effective approach to leadership

  • Today’s most innovative work happens in a network setting- companies need to transition away from a hierarchy leadership style to a network leadership style
  • Effective leaders gather people with different skill sets to learn through challenges together
  • The best leaders express confidence in employee ideas and give them permission to make changes wherever possible
  • Agile leadership conversations focus on opportunities instead of problems- ask “what could we do?”
  • Effective meetings end with assignments that include deliverable tasks and deadlines
  • Model actionable behavior in meetings that can be adapted by everyone in attendance

 

Skills for effectively working remotely

  • Maintain a structured routine for your workday
  • Look for ways to maintain social networking while observing physical distancing
  • Intentional social tightening within your network is more critical than ever

 

Note- The “Agile Leadership for Digital Transformation” course is not a webinar, rather it is a 7-module online course designed by faculty at the University of North Alabama and Purdue University to help you understand and implement the skills of agile leadership in the context of helping organizations meet the challenge of digital transformation.  You can register for the course here

 

Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org

 

Agile Leadership for Digital Transformation 

Strategic Doing

Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership by Liz Nilsen