Several recent articles have focused on a world that is changing faster than anything the world has ever experienced. From the socioeconomic front, to the geopolitical, to the technological, and more, the pace is accelerating. This Acceleration is not new, but it seems that it finally made the radar of organizational leaders. This phenomenon calls into question the traditional view of five-year plans. The world in five years likely looks quite different than our current world. This puts the ability to pivot and change at the heart of future organization success criteria. This new-found awareness highlights the need for flexibility, resilience, and adaptability, likely accelerating the path Towards Digital Transformation.

I for one marvel at the fact that in 2020, we are still talking about digital transformation. In a Post form 2013, I stressed that the pace of change would make it difficult for organizations to keep up. The only thing that leaders could do, was position their organizations for flexibility, resilience, adaptability, and ultimately, autonomy. Leaders must be positioned to shift quickly as the shifts occur – and they will occur. An organization therefore needs to be Hyper-Automated. I believe that the pandemic has made the need for this very visible. The hope is that this realization leads us to a Next Generation of Automation. The more autonomous an organization, the more aligned it is with the speed of business.

The strategic foundation for the future business follows a journey through an adaptive core, a capability link, an enabled edge, and culminating in an ability to leverage ecosystems. The sooner a business focuses on this future, the higher their chances of survival. Join the future of business conversation at this Reimagining the Future Channel.