Sri Manchala, Chairman and CEO, Trianz
Sri Manchala is the Chairman and CEO of Trianz, a digital transformation consulting company headquartered in Silicon Valley. Trianz partners with large Fortune 1000 organizations on transformation strategy development, technology implementations and ongoing operations. ALM Intelligence's Jeanne Graham caught up with Manchala to explore the ideas in his recent book, Crossing the Digital Faultline: 10 Leadership Rules to Win in the Age of Digitalization and Uncertainty (Forbes Publishing).
ALM Intelligence: What do you mean by the term digital faultline? Are companies that cross the faultline better prepared to deal with disruptions, such as COVID-19?
Manchala: Global changes powered by digitalization are sweeping across human ecosystems, governments, and industries like an earthquake. The rupture we're experiencing will lead to future shocks, to which no business is immune. I call it a digital faultline because it's driven by forces of digitalization. We cannot see these forces, only their impact and destruction. It's ground zero of a digital earthquake.
Instead of harboring grand visions, successful leaders get their teams over the faultline and then safely regain control of every variable – including COVID-19. They're always iterating, lessons from one iteration structuring the next. Meanwhile, they keep succeeding by mastering customer centricity, data-driven strategies and the role of digital technologies.
ALM Intelligence: What is the Trasers Global Transformation Survey and how is this research used in your book and in your consulting? Manchala: We spent three years collecting and analyzing data to produce digital transformation insights for boards, CEOs, and organization leaders. Our survey is based on over 1.5 million data points from 5,000 companies across 18 global industries. It also grounds our strategy, technology services, and client approach.
While others dwell on why companies fail to transform, we focus on the small percentage that succeed. We were able to determine what differentiates the 7% of successes.
I use data-driven insights, Trianz's extensive field experience, and client interviews to develop my thoughts on the truly successful leader. The book has four parts: understanding the digital faultline; 10 transformation rules successful companies employ; the successful leader's persona; and a playbook for leaders to revamp their style.
ALM Intelligence: You note that only 7% of companies succeed at digital transformation – what makes them different? Also, what is a methodical innovator and why is it necessary for leaders to adopt this persona to succeed in the digital age?
Manchala: The 7% – or "digital champions" – understand the nature of digital transformation. It's about reimagining your products and services portfolio from a customer's perspective and reinventing the value chain to deliver modern, connected experiences to all stakeholders.
Critical to an enterprise's successful transformation are the digital IQ, skills, and methods of its leaders. The 7% all share methodical leaders who confront, comprehend, strategize, and act differently in the digital age.
The leadership techniques of digital champions don't follow traditional authority archetypes. They follow a carefully assembled process; hence my moniker "methodical innovators." They're data-driven, adaptable risk-takers who invest in people, work tirelessly to cross the faultline, and evolve into market leaders. Thus, leaders in the digital age will not be born, but self-made. This doesn't center on charisma or political skills. Companies need data-driven conceptual thinking, clear-mindedness, and tenacity – skills well within everyone's reach.
ALM Intelligence: What do you think will be the top disruptive technologies in the next five years?
Manchala: From a foundational perspective, it will be the cloud, quantum computing, AI and VR, and robotics. From an application perspective, there are many. I'd say embedded medical devices; scalable alternative energy; and flying cars. Each one will revolutionize human life, social systems and many industries.
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