At The Ottawa Hospital, Glen Kearns, the EVP/chief information officer, has seen how digital technology is transforming models of care. That includes a recent regionalization project that onboarded three other area hospitals to one system. Mr. Kearns, who obtained a degree in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School, returned to his alma mater for an executive program at The Ivey Academy to hone his digital leadership skills and overall perspective.
Mr. Kearns has overseen technology projects that involve patients and clinicians in co-design, and focus on the ultimate benefit to all interested parties. That can mean improving efficiency and standardization, and making it easy to share historical data for patients who move between different health care facilities. “It’s driving value for patients,” he says.
For leaders, it’s vital to ensure more inclusive technology and work from the end goal in mind, says Mr. Kearns. With nearly 90 per cent of large corporations adopting digital transformation as part of their strategy, according to McKinsey, technological change is a reality for those leading the future of work.
Based on his 30 years of experience in change management while incorporating digital technology, Mr. Kearns says leaders need to be prepared to pivot and “always be willing to take measured risks.”
The next opportunity for calculated risk-taking for Mr. Kearns is in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). He wants to test it out and understand its value, so that it can be implemented for the best benefit.
How might AI affect how people work across sectors? The World Economic Forum’s recent Future of Jobs Report found that 50 per cent of organizations expect AI to create job growth and 25 per cent expect the new tech to create job losses.
“People are scared of the possibility of substitution, such as AI replacing humans at work,” says Isam Faik, assistant professor of Information Systems at the Ivey Business School.
But he says AI can also be an opportunity to augment the capabilities of individuals and teams. That can make people more efficient and free their time and attention for more productive and rewarding tasks. Technology has always changed the nature of work, in ways we can’t always predict. Think of how organizations of all types invested heavily and quickly in hardware, software or digital infrastructure in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing.
“COVID pushed us to rethink the meaning of work. That has helped change the conversation around effective management and leadership in digitized environments,” says Mr. Faik.
Does being a digital leader mean having an expertise in technology? Not necessarily.
What leaders need is a growth mindset to see innovation opportunities in emerging technologies, and a willingness to experiment and learn, says Mr. Faik.
Changes now come month to month, day by day, and even hour to hour, says Bryan Benjamin, executive director of The Ivey Academy. “For those up to the challenge, it’s an exciting time, because technology is continually updating and iterating.”
Yet for some who aren’t prepared, emerging technology and what it represents can become overwhelming, adds Mr. Benjamin. “Inertia sets in.”
So much of that future is unknown. Yet a few things are for certain: technology will help us get there, and leaders require more than mere curiosity about how that might transform their business and open opportunities. Today’s business leaders need to be digitally savvy, with intent to act, says Mr. Benjamin.
Investing in digital capabilities and transformation, and building a digitally-skilled workforce are both critical. So is having business leaders who are capable of seeing how technology can bring about change to business models, structures and resource configurations. Whether in robotics, AI, machine learning or data analytics, it’s people that drive digital transformation, not technology.
With this in mind, The Ivey Academy offers innovative programming in digital leadership, with core courses in data-informed leadership and innovating for digital transformation. This certificate program also includes workshops in topics such as customer dynamics in the digital world, sustainability and digital innovation, accelerating leadership with AI and how to lead creative innovation.
Leaders need to be able to look not just inside their own organizations but across industries to assess the changes coming and how to embrace them, says Dr. Nicole Haggerty, assistant dean and associate professor, Information Systems at Ivey Business School.
Technology like generative AI and deep learning are going to be part of creative solutions going forward. “That means rethinking how we get our work done,” she says.
One key is being willing to experiment in a thoughtful way. “Look for innovators and transformation to come from unusual places,” says Dr. Haggerty.
She calls the process “sense-making”. Be willing to learn before coming to a decision, and be prepared for the experimentation required when implementing digital transformation.
In Silicon Valley, there’s a philosophy for succeeding with speed. Dr. Haggerty suggests it be a motto for the digitally-savvy leader. “Fail fast to succeed faster,” she says.
